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Perspective - Third Person
"Ai Khaen, come sit here and don’t just stay idle. Cheer for my faculty too, will you?" Pond says.
The field is now filled with the sound of sports drumbeats and the roaring cheers of spectators, impressed by the football players’ maneuvers. Yet, Khun Kirakorn, or "Pheuak Monkey" to his friends, sits pale-faced, glancing towards someone seated three places away.
This earns him a puzzled look from Pond, who follows his gaze and internally exclaims in realization. Are you still holding a grudge against Ai Pete’s friend or what? Honestly, I don’t see anything about him that’s as bad as you say. I’ve run into him several times now. Apart from acting like I don’t exist, he’s never cursed at me or anything, the mixed-race guy thinks to himself with amusement.
Everyone knows that once Ai Khaen hates someone, that hatred is absolute. And with someone he once punched in the face, like that Ai Tinn guy, even just being nearby is probably an offense in itself.
But Tinn doesn’t seem as terrible as people claim, apart from his odd behavior towards Ai Pete?
Like today—he’s sitting right here, clearly following Ai Pete. This has caused someone on the field to glare at him. If Ae could kick a ball this way, he probably would.
Then again though, this has nothing to do with Ai Khaen. Could he be jealous on behalf of his friend? But he doesn’t even know that Ae and Ai Pete are in a relationship.
"He’s worse than you think!" Khaen grumbles irritably.
Looking towards the target of his annoyance, Khaen sees Tinn sitting there, reading something on his iPad. It makes Khaen want to sarcastically ask why Tinn even bothers sitting by the field if he’s just going to read. If you’re here, you’re supposed to cheer for the team!
And, as if that answer entices the meddler, Pond leans in closer. "How so? Spill it!"
"Ugh, I don’t know, man. It’s nothing."
"You said he’s bad, didn’t you? Elaborate! What, why, when, how?" Pond persists, leaning in as though gathering intel to potentially use as ammunition if he were to play third wheel between Ae and Pete.
This leaves Khaen, who cannot admit to having kissed the guy, shrugging his shoulders to dodge the question.
"Argh!!!!"
See that? I’m annoyed. Can’t you tell I’m incredibly annoyed? Khaen, finally understanding why others tell Pond to shut up sometimes, mutters to himself.
Khaen accidentally glances in another direction. That shout just now was probably too loud he thinks, as Ai Tinn looks up at him. In the instant their eyes meet, Ai Tinn... smirks.
Ugh, I want to kill you. I want to kill you. I want to kill youuu!
Swoosh.
"I need to take a dump!" Unable to handle the pressure, Khaen springs to his feet, shouting loud enough for everyone nearby to turn and look.
Does someone like Ai Khaen feel embarrassed? Not a chance. This prompts a friend from another faculty sitting behind him to nudge him lightly with their foot.
"Ai Khaen, if you need to go, then just go! Stop making announcements here. You’re blocking my view, single-lidded eyes! Move it!"
Oh, did you just insult me?
Swipe.
"Fine! I’m about to crap myself, but I’m not going yet. I’ll annoy you instead. Want to watch? Here, stare at my butt first."
And with that, the Pheuak Monkey channels his inner lunatic, raising his hands to block his friend’s view and swaying side to side, ensuring that the person behind can’t see the field at all. His exaggerated hip-wiggling makes the person behind him grow exasperated.
Push.
"Ahhh!" Khaen stumbles forward, his hands landing firmly on the shoulders of two women, startling them. The female engineering students whip their heads around, ready to confront him, causing the mischievous Khaen to flash an awkward smile. He quickly straightens himself and mumbles to his friends.
"I’d better go take a dump."
"Gahhh! So manly, my friend—teasing guys but scared of being slapped by women!" Ai Pond doesn’t hold back, laughing heartily.
His teasing tone makes Chae-em shake her head in exasperation before she slaps his thigh firmly. "Stop teasing your friend."
"Aww, aww, I wasn’t teasing, Em," Pond replies, leaning his head onto his partner’s shoulder.
Chae-em dodges away, raising her hand in a mock warning as if to say, Try me, and I’ll smack you. This makes Pond pretend to shrink back fearfully.
"They say being afraid of your Mia brings prosperity."
"Who’s your Mia?"
"Not now, but in the future... heh heh."
Smack!
The sound of her palm hitting his thigh is not exactly gentle, but Pond grins broadly, clearly enjoying the moment.
Meanwhile, the single Khaen grimaces.
"Just wait until I get a partner, you jerk." Saying so, Khaen shoves Pond’s head aside to make space for himself to get up and leave.
But to exit, he has to pass two others first.
"Hey, Pete. Excuse me."
"Yes, it’s fine," Pete replies, though his eyes remain fixed on the field, not looking away for even a second. Pete's tightly clenched fists reveal how intensely he’s focused, making his handsome face momentarily endearing.
However, after getting past Pete, Khaen encounters the final obstacle... the dog-faced guy.
Just walk past, Khaen. Just walk past. Ignore him.
"Hey!" But before Khaen can get past, the guy, who’s been engrossed in reading something full of strange characters on his screen, stretches out his arm to block the way. Startled, Khaen lets out a sharp exclamation.
Already disliking this nuisance, he now spins around to glare at Tinn angrily. Despite telling himself to ignore it, his irritation bursts out in that instant.
For a moment Tinn lifts his head to meet Khaen's eyes before lowering it back to his screen, as if there’s nothing to say, his sharp mouth utters: "Clumsy."
That’s it—unbearable!
So, the one who swore he’d flee to the ends of the earth if they met again grabs the shirt of the satanic version of Khun-chai and growls menacingly:
"You’re coming with me right now!"
Without waiting, Khaen drags the shirt of this nuisance, forcing him along. Pete, noticing the commotion, looks over in surprise and almost gets up to follow, wondering if these two, who clearly don’t get along, are about to start a fight. But the roar of the crowd pulls his attention back to the field. Turning, he sees Ae dribbling the ball towards the goal, leaving Pete hesitating mid-action.
"Pete, look at Ae! Look at Ae!" Chae-em exclaims excitedly, unconsciously shaking Pete’s arm lightly. Every pair of eyes is fixed on Ae, who is about to make his move. As an opposing international student rushes in to intercept, Ae fakes a move, dribbling in another direction, and then... shoots!
"GOAL!"
Pond’s cheer is louder than anyone’s, while Chae-em shakes the arm of her international classmate, who breaks into a wide smile. It’s clear that supporting a rival faculty’s team is technically wrong, but Ae’s triumphant turn and raised fist of joy are enough to make the international student laugh aloud.
At this moment, Ae looks so happy, his rare exuberance shining through, that even Pitchaya can’t look away.
Of course, Pete completely forgets about the other friend who came with him.
~~~
Thud!
"What’s it gonna be, huh? How long are you going to keep picking a fight with me, you bloody cur!"
While everyone gathers at the field, in a more secluded corner, Khaen is shoving Tinn in the chest aggressively, his tone matching his actions. His almond-shaped eyes burn with rage, while the listener simply keeps his hands in his pockets and raises an eyebrow slightly.
"Do you realize yet how annoying this is?"
"Huh?" Khaen, ready to argue, is momentarily dumbfounded, not understanding what Tinn means.
The other man fixes Khaen with a steady gaze. "Do you realize how annoying it is every time I see you, and you pick a fight with me?"
"I’m not picking fights with you!" Khaen retorts indignantly.
Him? Picking fights? It’s Tinn who’s been antagonizing him since their very first encounter.
Tinn’s lips curve into a cold smile as he continues. "First, I got punched. Then, I got insulted. Now, you’re meddling in pointless things…"
Despite Tinn’s words, Khaen is more than ready to bring up old grievances. "I punched you because you’ve got a dog-mouth! Who started this, huh? The first time we met, you called me filthy. Then you called me disgusting. Every single time, you had something nasty to say. That I’ve only hit you once is a damn blessing for you!"
"I just told the truth." Tinn retorts.
Khaen hates that smug attitude of Tinn’s—acting like Khaen isn’t even worth talking to. Who does this shit-lizard think he is to always believe he’s right? Khaen’s anger boils over, and he shouts back.
"Then do you realize that you are the one who’s disgusting?!"
Tinn just stares at him, unperturbed, not even responding, which only fuels Khaen’s rage further. He shoves Tinn’s chest hard with both hands.
"You’re gay, aren’t you? Damn, that’s disgusting!" Not content with just yelling, Khaen wipes his mouth harshly with the back of his hand, making a point of how revolted he feels from their previous encounter. Tinn only laughs—a laugh that infuriates Khaen even more.
"What the hell are you laughing at?!"
"Is being gay that disgusting to you?"
"Yeah!!!" Khaen shouts angrily at the face of the man he is now almost certain is gay.
Yet, his outburst only makes the other man’s grin widen, laughter spilling out of him, though his eyes carry a chilling intensity.
"Exactly. I’d say the same." Tinn agrees.
"Huh?!"
At this moment, the Pheuak Monkey falls silent, seemingly unable to comprehend the complexity of the person before him. What the hell? Being called disgusting doesn’t make him mad, and he even admits it outright?
The footballer is left dumbfounded as the other man stops laughing and speaks in a mocking tone. "And since your friend is gay, I’d say it’s perfectly fair to find him disgusting."
"My friend?" Khaen now feels utterly lost, his thoughts tangled.
Khaen's brain suddenly stalls, and he can only blink repeatedly, trying to figure out which of his friends Tinn could be referring to. "Don’t tell me Ai’Ae and…"
"Pete," Tinn interjects smoothly, his sharp eyes gleaming with satisfaction at Khaen’s dumbstruck expression.
The staunch defender of his friends stares in disbelief, muttering as if refusing to accept the idea.
"Ai’Ae? No way... Ai’Ae... gay?"
The words trigger flashes of old memories—the times his friend always hung out with Pete, them going everywhere together, buying meals for each other like a couple. Then Pete, who constantly praises Ai’Ae. He’d always thought Pete admired Ae because he was a good guy like himself. But now? Those two...
No wonder Pete came to cheer for Ai’Ae instead of his own faculty.
Khaen’s utterly stunned reaction only emboldens Tinn to step closer, his sharp gaze locking onto Khaen’s as if to intensify the blow of this new revelation.
Then, in a firm voice, Tinn declares: "If the thought of me pressing my lips to yours is disgusting, then wouldn’t your friends be even worse? Think about how far those two have gone."
With that, Tinn’s gaze drops deliberately to Khaen’s crotch, as though insinuating what Ae might have done with Pete, and he continues in a cold tone. "...Stay clinging, huh."
With that, Tinn turns, about to head back to the field, just as Khaen, snapping out of his stupor, regains his senses.
Grab!
"Damned shit-lizard Tinn! My friends are nothing like you—disgusting! So what if they’re something you don’t like? They’ve never insulted anyone the way you do. If they love each other, it’s none of your damn business. You have no right to judge them as disgusting."
"Your words are far filthier than anything! Ae is a good person, Pete is a good person. Whatever they are is their private matter. They’re still my friends. And let me tell you this: no matter what they are, if you mess with them, you’re my enemy!"
Khaen grabs Tinn’s arm and shouts directly into his face, his voice loud and unwavering.
Alright, Khaen may have never had openly gay friends before, but so what? The initial shock of the idea might have shaken him, but the next moment, he brushes it aside. Gay or not, they’re still his friends. Who cares if they love each other? The ones who insult them are far worse.
Sure, Ae might love another man, but can anyone deny that he once carried Khaen back to the dorm when he was drunk and out of control? Can anyone deny that Ae is a genuinely good person who never kicks a friend when they’re down? Ae has helped every time he could. So what if he’s gay? A guy like Ae would never cling to anyone for money!
"And you better remember this: whether they’re good or bad, friends are friends. They’re my friends!"
Shouting like this makes Tinn frown. At first, he’d been smugly enjoying Khaen’s reactions, but now, for a fleeting moment, he finds himself speechless.
Now, this single-lidded-eyed guy isn’t just angry—he’s furious, his face flushed bright red. Tinn had expected him to feel disappointed by what he learned, but no, Khaen continues to defend his friends with all his might.
And something deep within Tinn quakes violently.
He had long forgotten what it felt like to trust someone completely. That feeling had disappeared ages ago.
Humans, when they trust someone with all their heart, will inevitably feel disappointed when things don’t align with their beliefs—more or less, the disappointment will be there. But not with this person before him, who clearly shows he stands firm in his convictions, furious at anyone who dares to insult what he defends.
That is what is currently reflecting in the mind of the observer.
The sense of satisfaction has long since faded. What Tinn does is shrug his shoulders and turn towards the field, grabbing his belongings that he had left behind. He doesn't bother answering the question from the older person, "Are you leaving already?" Instead, he walks past the single-lidded-eyed guy, still standing still, as though trying to gather his thoughts.
And in that moment, as their eyes meet, Tinn merely shows a tiny bitter smile. "I may indeed be as disgusting as you say."
Those words make Khaen just stare in disbelief. Then as he turns to ask why, he feels as though Tinn's shoulders slump, as though... utterly exhausted.
Bang!
The car door slams shut, and the belongings are thrown onto the seat next to him. Meanwhile, Tinn remains still in the luxurious car, his sharp eyes looking straight ahead. However, what he sees is not the university road but a flash of old memories.
"Another... sniff... Dad and Mom never loved me. Why do they have to take me too... I won’t go, Phii Tul." A 7 year old Tinn said.
"They’re doing it because they love you, Tinn. They want you to have a good education. And even if no one loves you, your older brother will always love you."
"Sniff Really? Really? sob... Phii Tul really loves me?"
"Of course, I do. I love my little brother more than anything in the world, you know?"
That seven-year-old boy flashes into Tinn's memory—a child whose parents never cared, never showed any concern, and who was sent to study abroad despite not being able to care for himself. He was sent to a place where no one knew him, with only his kind older brother who followed him there, to the UK, to stay with him—his brother, the only family he had.
The older brother he once loved and esteemed more than anyone.
The image in the memory shifts to a scene from one night several years later... the day he learned he had never had anyone to call family from the start.
"I hate him! I never saw him as my younger brother! I should have killed him while he was still in the womb. Just watch, I’ll take everything that Ai Tinn Metthanun has. He’ll suffer even more than I ever did. He’ll face more than I did!!!" That was Tul's voice.
The day Tinn learned that every friend around him had come from the power of his older brother’s money.
The day he learned just how much his older brother hated him.
The day he learned that his older brother wanted to destroy him to the point of erasing his very existence.
Despite Tinn loving, esteeming, admiring, and trusting, in the end... there is nothing left at all.
Tinn's sharp face leans against the steering wheel of the car. He hasn’t dared to trust anyone for many years. Humans are the most selfish creatures, but why does the foolish face of the person he’s been irritated with since the first meeting keep flashing into his mind? The person who tries to protect his friend in every possible way.
"There’s no one who’s truly sincere. There’s no one, Tinn. Don’t go back to being that fool, Tinn." He tells himself.
It’s the first time in years that this tough person is reminding himself, in a weary tone... not to go back to being the same person who was turned into a fool. Someone who thought he was better than everyone else, but in reality, was just a puppet of one person.
The thought of someone who takes a deep breath before his tired expression shifts to one of neutrality, hiding all feelings deep inside, and then draws out his tough persona, even though the image of the person trying to protect his friend keeps flashing in his head.
This kind of person is the one he hates the most. Those who keep babbling about friendship, but does he truly hate them?
~~~
"See? This is my friend, the one who touched both doors—this is my friend!!!"
When it comes to exaggeration, Pound takes the crown. Right now, the half-Asian guy who has nothing to do with football runs to jump and hug his short friend on the field, shouting loudly to irritate the team that lost, which is quite a lot. However, it’s not much different from what everyone expected.
Everyone thought this year’s final battle would definitely be between the sports and engineering faculties.
Chae-em almost raises her hand to cover her face in embarrassment.
"I'm not his partner, you know. I'm not his partner," she mutters to herself, as her partner is taking off his shirt in celebration with the team. This prompts Pete to smile faintly while watching the laughter-filled scene on the field, particularly focusing on the person who scored two goals.
"And what about Chae-em's faculty?" he asks.
"We lost already. The faculty with a lot of girls is like this. We didn’t have enough people, so we had to bring in seniors to help play," Chae-em looks up to tell him before giving a small smile. She continues, "But it seems Pete is happy that his faculty lost," because it means someone else won.
This teasing makes the listener scratch his neck before speaking quietly. "I didn’t dare speak out loud, but... I’m really happy," the young man admits.
Pete's handsome face clearly shows that he’s truly happy, causing the onlookers to stare a little before he smiles.
"Pete really likes Ae." Chase-em states.
The listener stops smiling, and that makes the young woman quickly continue.
"Eh, I apologize. I didn’t mean to be nosy. Just pretend I didn’t say anything," Chae-em quickly shakes her head vigorously because the other party has never said anything about their relationship with Ae.
However, being close to these two, and having a partner who sometimes shares stories with her, makes her rather certain, though it’s not something she should speak out loud.
The words make Pete slightly embarrassed before asking uncertainly, "Did I come off too obvious?"
He doesn’t want anyone to think that Ae is gay. Society may be more open about such things now, but who knows if the other friends around Ae might not accept it? Just making a man love another man can sometimes make one feel guilty enough.
Chae-em smiles faintly.
"Pete asking like this means I can say that I know and I’m quite sure, right?" She glances at the people on the field for a moment, causing Pete to pause before nodding slowly.
"Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. As for asking if Pete was obvious... I think if you weren’t someone really close, I don’t think you’d know. Pete just seems like a regular handsome and polite guy. As for why I know, you have to understand that I have more gay friends than I do regular guys. Then if you, Pete, met my friends at the faculty, you'd understand what ‘predatory gay’ means," Chae-em says with a dry smile, because she really shouldn’t compare Pete to her friends.
They say they’re dominant gays, but they’re more promiscuous than many real women.
The answer makes Pete smile.
"Thank you, Chae-em." His sincere thanks and the smile that makes his face look even more handsome cause the young woman to blush slightly, murmuring softly.
"And with Pete's face and smile like this, what woman would think about whether or not you're gay? They’d definitely fall for you first..."
Grab!
"Hey! This, Pete, is mine!" But before she finishes speaking, a strong arm, sweaty all over, wraps around from behind, making Chae-em jump in shock before pinching his arm hard, grumbling angrily.
"Let go! Ugh, you’re all sweaty!"
"Whoa, what’s this? Just now, you were smiling all sweetly at Pete, and now your partner comes along and you act all disgusted? How can this happen?" This time, Pond complains dramatically, trying to hug tighter, but Chae-em gives him a sharp look and firmly says,
"Let go!"
And the one hugging immediately lets go, looking slightly hurt, causing Chae-em to mutter quietly. "It doesn’t look good."
The way she says this makes the listener smile in satisfaction. Well, even though my partner doesn’t let me hug her, it still means others can’t either.
"So what are you two talking about? You know, huh?" Pond jokes, glancing at his friend who is glaring at Pete.
"I’m not jealous of something as silly as you are," Ae responds flatly, because it’s true that he doesn’t feel jealous when Pete is with women. His feelings are more like when Pete is with his brother. But just now, when Pete was sitting next to...
"Where did your friend go?"
"Our friend? Tinn? He went back already."
Grab!
"Ha ha ha, you said you don’t get jealous of silly stuff," Pond says while pulling his friend into a tight side hug and leaning in to whisper teasingly, making the football player grunt in frustration, and then...
"AAAHHHH! Ae, you sadist! You like using force!!!" Pond jumps in shock as his friend presses down on his foot, giving him a pointed stare before turning to snuggle his partner instead.
Chae-em steps back and responds with a sincere smile. "Serves you right."
"Em, you're so cruel! Why are you so cruel to me? Sob. I have a partner, but she doesn’t love me. I have friends, but they don’t care. I am so sad!" The whining voice of the half-breed sounds out, but Ae doesn’t care, only turning to look at the person cheering.
To be honest, Ae was annoyed to see Pete sitting next to Tinn, though he is also glad that Pete came to cheer.
"I’m sorry your team lost," Ae says. If possible, he wouldn’t have wanted to compete with their team since the preliminary rounds. This makes Pete smile and softly say, "But I’m glad that Ae won."
A silence falls between the two as they understand each other instantly. While Ae cares about Pete’s feelings, Pete also cares about Ae’s feelings, so Ae smiles, albeit slightly shaking his head.
"You make me lost for words... Wait for me a minute, I’ll go change my shirt, then let’s go grab something to eat."
"Really? You’re going to eat, huh? Are you going to eat all night until we go back to the room? Let me know."
Swoosh.
"Ugh, I’ll be quiet," Pond laughs mischievously, enjoying the look from his friend, while Khun-chai turns slightly red.
Pete's face reddens even more when his partner leans in to whisper softly, "Can I stay at your place tonight?"
Pete goes quiet for a moment, surprised, then lowers his face in embarrassment. This time, both turn away from each other, falling silent immediately, but the air is filled with a pinkish glow.
Though they don’t speak about it further, it’s clear to them that they won’t just be holding hands like high school kids.
After all, Khun Inthach and Khun Pitchaya are already in college, aren’t they?
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