Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
~~~
Perspective - 3rd person
"Ai Aeooohhh! Why don't you tell me you're skipping cheer practice?"
It is already past 8 PM when the door swings open, and that idiot, who looks quite annoyed, storms in. One hand tosses his bag onto the bed while the other hastily yanks off his socks. His mouth keeps complaining non-stop, making his roommate want to shove anything available into it to silence him.
"Do you know how bloody unlucky I was today? After I split up with you, I went to grab something to eat. Seeing I was running out of time for the afternoon session though, I sprinted to grab some dumplings and rush to the classroom. Bloody hell, I tried sneaking a bite, but the professor caught a whiff and scolded me for half an hour about classroom etiquette. Then, today is the combined Thai class, right? More bad luck! I ended up paired with a liberal arts student. Ugh, she is cute, but her mouth? I can't stand it at all!"
"Why? Did she insult you?" Ae, who is casually playing on his laptop, asks absentmindedly as the complainer throws himself onto the bed to vent.
"Yes, damn it! I think she's cute, so as any good-looking guy would, I tried to flirt with her.
Before I could do anything though, she turned to me and said, "Excuse me, can't you see I'm trying to focus? You're late, you don't stop talking, and you're wasting the professor's time. If the professor releases us late, it's entirely your fault.' Damn it! Is that my fault? Ai Ae, tell me! What part of that is my fault?"
With that, the little drama king mimics the liberal arts student in a shrill, mocking tone, then throws himself down on the bed, flailing like a tantrum-throwing toddler.
"But I think she's right," replies Ae, who is immune to his best friend's antics.
He delivers the comment casually without even sparing a glance at the now wide-eyed, glaring drama king.
"You're not even taking my side! She says I'm being a troublemaker, man!"
This time, Ae lifts his gaze and meets his friend's eyes before closing his laptop screen.
"That's exactly why I say she's right." And with that, the man of few words but heavy punches grabs a towel, leaving his best friend shouting louder in protest.
"Treacherous friend! You never take my side! I curse you to get your ass plowed!!!!"
Bang, bang, bang!
"Fucking shit-lizard Pond! Quiet down, damn it, I'm trying to study!" As soon as the curse is uttered, the neighbor in the next room pounds on the wall loudly, shouting in protest, making the half-blooded guy grimace but ultimately quiet down.
Pond looks at his friend, who has grabbed a basin holding soap and shampoo.
"What about Ai Pete?"
Once his craziness subsides, the one intending to shower turns back to converse. His sharp eyes recall the demeanor of the person he sent off in the car to return home.
"I'm not sure, but he's probably scared."
"And how did Ai'Khun-chai Pete end up involved with that thug? He doesn't seem like the type to get into trouble. Oh, and there's that money extortion thing you mentioned too." He goes silent for a moment, looking at his friend, whose eyes clearly show curiosity.
"That demon-kin is Pete's senior. He tried to extort money from Pete because he sees Pete as rich." In the end, Ae doesn't disclose everything, causing the listener to make a face of disbelief before nodding in simple agreement.
"Being rich is tough, huh?"
"Not rich but weak will get you targeted all the same," the football guy immediately counters, causing his close friend to laugh and nod in agreement.
"At first, I thought Ai Pete was a top, but after seeing him get yanked so effortlessly today, I'm convinced he's got to be a bottom." Then the spirit of an analyst takes over, prompting the listener to frown deeply.
"Top? Bottom? What the hell are you talking about?" Ae asks.
"Gay top, gay bottom, man. Like, a top is the one on top who gets to do the thrusting. The bottom is the one below who gets, you know, penetrated. Sometimes they switch though. Still, they end up getting penetrated anyway. That's what's called being on top." When it comes to this topic, Pond suddenly seems brilliant, explaining it vividly while grinning broadly, earning a look of disapproval from Ae.
"How the hell do you even know all this? Are you one of them or what?"
"Whoa, don't look down on me, my friend! I am all man, and my manhood will never be used as a gold-digging platform! I need a beautiful girl like Nong Miyabi, with a tiny body, but the figure is like a machine. Oh, just talking about it makes me shiver. Tonight, let's watch something together..."
"If you don't want to wake up and find your disk broken under my foot, then just watch," comes the cold response from the person who had not been able to sleep because all the friends in the dorm have been gathered in his room.
Ae puts the water basin down and gives a glare as if saying, "Try it, and you'll meet me," which causes the one who cares about his limited-edition possessions to change the topic immediately.
"I learned about this from the little sister of Ai Sun. Back in high school, when we made the bottle rocket at Ai Sun's house, I happened to see a gay cartoon on the coffee table in the living room. As soon as I picked it up... those two started a lecture about men being together for almost half an hour... but it was good, so I didn't go help you guys," he said, unaware of the awkwardness, making the listener sigh and think of a close friend's little sister in the group.
Ai Sun has two younger sisters, both very into yuri. They were the type to concoct a romantic story just because two guys shared the same water bottle.
"Yeah, that's right. At first, I followed the method those guys use to watch yaoi. They said tall, handsome, rich, good family background—that's the type to be seme. And what about you? Short, muscular, not rich, no car to drive. You ride a bike every day, so surely Ai Pete will be the one on top. Today though, I've learned something new…"
Don’t ask how Ae feels. His brows are knitted tightly, and he thought if Sun’s sisters had wild imaginations, then Pond has a goddess of nonsense whispering in his ear.
Ai Pete with him?
"Now, tell me your dirty thoughts," he says tiredly, listening to the person who seems in a better mood, snapping his fingers and sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Here's the thing, Ai Ae. Today I learned that someone as handsome as Ai Pete is actually very fragile. Then when I saw that, I rushed to help him and stood in the way, it was so cool! Ai Pond declares it... You are the real seme!" Ai Pond declares, and Ae sighs, tired of life, wondering if he should go ask the dorm manager if it's still possible to switch roommates.
Are you sure this is what he thinks?
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to shower now. You go ahead with your seme, uke, whatever."
"Ah, oh! Do not act like you cannot handle the truth. Honestly, you and he suit each other. Someone delicate like him and someone small like you would match perfectly…"
"Bloody damn cur!"
Bang!
"Hey! That's a shampoo bottle! What if it hit my head?"
Ae does not care about his friend's wailing voice following after him. He hurls the shampoo bottle onto the bed with a loud crash, deciding that skipping one day of washing his hair will not kill him. However, if he can draw blood from Pound's head, it will bring him immense joy.
This thought arises while hearing his friend's curses intermix with the banging of the neighbor pounding on the wall, yelling for them to stop disturbing the peace. Though Ae tells himself it is nonsense, his mind drifts to the slim frame of Khun-chai, whom he once grabbed so roughly that it felt as though the man might fly out of his hands.
I am the one on top? Pete the one below?
"Impossible. What am I thinking?" The football player scratches his head with a sheepish laugh, walking into the bathroom and chuckling at his own absurd thoughts.
After all, he believes there is no way someone high-class like Khun-chai would ever like him. Just look at someone like that Trump-whatever—though Ae cannot stand his face, he cannot help imagining that if Trump stood next to Pete, they might… surprisingly complement each other.
"But whatever type Pete likes is none of my concern. My only duty is to protect him."
~~~
"Are you coming to eat with me?"
"Not today. I am already at the faculty. Uh, I woke up late this morning."
On the corridor of the international building, Pete walks briskly down the path. One hand clutches a textbook, while the other grips his phone tightly. Both his cheeks are flushed with warmth. Just seeing who the caller is makes him so happy his hands tremble. When that person even asks about having lunch, his heart races so wildly he cannot keep pace with its rhythm.
No, Pete is not late because he overslept. Rather, the memory of someone saying yesterday that they would protect him kept him awake all night. And today, he cannot bring himself to go meet that person because… he is too embarrassed to face him.
Even though yesterday he was so scared he could not think clearly, when Ae was with him, he admits… he believed what Ae said.
Ae will be my bodyguard!!!
At least until that bloody fucking cur gives up. Leaving Pete alone means not knowing when he might be dragged off again.
"But… but Ae, you don't have to do that. I don't want to trouble you any more than this…."
"You don't understand human language, do you? I already told you it's not a bother… unless you think I'm meddling unnecessarily…?"
"N-no, that's not it," he remembers stammering with a shaky voice and shaking his head firmly, as such a thought had not crossed his mind at all. That made Ae flash him a wide smile.
"Then it's settled."
The events of yesterday bring a smile to Pitchaya's face as he grips his phone tightly, listening to Ae's deep, composed voice in his usual style.
"No one's done anything to you, right?"
"No, they haven't."
"Good. Then around noon, I'll come have lunch with you."
And what else could the person on this side reply with except...
"Yes," accompanied by a wide smile that makes the girls turn their heads in unison.
Especially since Khun-chai Pitchaya is known for being handsome, polite, and kind, it is unsurprising that this smile draws so much attention, making many wish to approach and get to know him—if not for the fact that he quickly strides towards his classroom, leaving the onlookers sighing in disappointment.
"Today, Nong Pete looks so handsome."
"Boss, boss, get Nong Pete to join the cheer squad! At least we'll get to spend evenings together once a week!" The group of ladyboys, who have been observing him from the beginning, squeal in excitement, causing Manophop, the head of the ladyboys from the International Program, to almost clap her hands and stomp her feet with delight.
The international program differs from the regular program in that their freshmen welcome activities take place every semester, as there are always new students enrolling. And, of course, unlike the Thai program, where the activities run for an entire month, every evening, to the point of animosity, this program only schedules one day a week for freshmen to sing songs together. It is so relaxed that the Thai program students might almost cry out, "Are you sure this is a proper welcome?"
"Alright, I agree. With Nong Pete, just a little charm here and there, he's sure to say yes to me!" With that, she smiles confidently, prompting the juniors to retort loudly.
"Don't think every guy belongs to you, Boss!"
"Oh, you don't know my name, do you? Manophop. The whole universe—every guy is mine. Don't forget, my concept is… Imagination Works. Manophop must prevail!" she declares with determination, intent on recruiting that handsome young man into the freshmen activities.
At this moment, it would hardly be surprising if Pete suddenly feels a shiver down his spine without knowing why.
~~~
"Pete, we have a group project meeting today. Are you free?"
As soon as Pete enters the classroom, a female classmate springs up from her seat and asks enthusiastically, causing Pete to respond with nothing but a polite smile.
"Yes, sure. What time should we do it?"
"Noon, we'll talk during lunch. Is that okay?"
"Uh..." As for the group work, Pete has no issue. Honestly, he never has problems with anyone. Even though he isn't particularly close to anyone, he is always invited to join a group for work. So, working with others isn't an issue. The problem is... he has an appointment at noon.
"Is that okay, Pete? One of our friends has classes from 1 PM to 6 PM, so if we don't talk during lunch, we won't have time." When the other party explains the urgency, Pete simply nods.
Of course, Pete is disappointed, but he doesn't want to be the reason for others to lose time.
So, he gives a forced smile and says, "Yes, noon is fine."
"I knew Pete wouldn't have a problem, unlike someone else..."
"Who are you talking about?"
Gasp!
Suddenly, the speaker jumps when a deep, displeased voice comes from behind. Pete turns around quickly and finds a tall young man standing with a displeased look, narrowing his eyes. The woman who had been smiling awkwardly turns and quickly shakes her head.
"No... we're meeting to talk about the class work at noon, Tinn." After saying that, the woman quickly returns to her seat when she sees her classmate, Tinn, put his bag down next to the man she had wanted to talk to.
Ai'Khun-chai Tinn, the arrogant, pretentious jerk with a bad attitude.
"Women are such a nuisance," this man mutters, then sits down next to Pete. Pete, who is still pale, turns to look at him and gives a small, casual smile as a greeting.
Tinn is a handsome man who, when he first arrived, caused all the girls to scream in the department. Tinn is a ดอกไม้บนภูผา (Dok Mai Bon Phu Phaa).
[[Translator's Note: Pronounced Dok Mai Bon Phu Phaa this is literally a flower that grows in a high, difficult-to-reach place. The phrase symbolizes something rare and hard to attain such as 18-year-old tall handsome rich Porsche-driving males in Thai BLs.]]
However, the reason many don't like him isn't because he is bothersome. No, that's not it. It is probably because he is coldly-aloof and doesn't interact much with anyone. Moreover, he will tell those who try to get close to him that... "I don't intend to be friends with anyone who doesn't bring any benefit to me. It's a waste of time."
Although this makes him disliked by more than half the department, no one can deny that this man has the right to choose his friends, given that Khun-chai Tinn is the second heir to a large real estate company. The kind where you can walk anywhere and see the family's condominium logo decorating the area. Not to mention the fact that he can speak multiple languages, is handsome, drives a Porsche, and could transfer to study in any country whenever he wanted, though he claims... "I'm bored of studying abroad."
"You're staying to discuss classwork, right?"
"Hmm, yeah, I am. And what about you, Tinn?" The person, who has just pulled out their phone and is hesitating on how to tell Ae, makes a sound in his throat before turning to look at the friend beside him, with whom he has exchanged only a few words.
"Of course. I don't trust that others will do the work well enough."
The listener isn't surprised to hear this and can only smile at the extremely confident person before looking down at their phone again. How should I tell Ae? Sigh.
... Ae, I need to do a report with my friends at noon. You don't have to join us for lunch.
Hmm, maybe that sounds bad. It makes it sound like Ae is asking to join for lunch.
I'm busy doing a report at noon. You don't need to come see me, but thank you so much, Ae.
Is this okay?
The person's face is dark as they focus on just a few words. This makes the person beside him, who had already been glancing over, turn to look at him.
"You're friends with the Thai Commoners, aren't you?"
"Sorry?" Pete jumps a little, turning to look at Tinn, confused, before the other stares him down, as if reiterating the question in his head.
"Yesterday, I saw you with people from the Thai Department... It looked like there was some trouble." The listener immediately becomes silent, staring at the other person, unsure of how much they know.
His cheeks pale slightly before quickly speaking in a flurry. "U-uh... There's nothing. There was no trouble."
"Hmph, I thought you were the one being picked on. This is the downside of the people from the Thai Department—drinking, causing trouble, fighting. I hear the Engineering and Science Sports people don't get along either... They're all nonsense." Tinn says flatly, though his eyes clearly show dissatisfaction, making the listener shake his head.
"Ae isn't like that, Tinn!"
Thud
"So, that means you're really hanging out with the regular department people, huh?" This makes the listener raise an eyebrow, causing the respondent to quickly press his lips together.
"Well... we're just friends."
Pete doesn't understand why the other person wants to know about his business when they have barely ever talked before. However he keeps the discomfort inside, as Tinn continues speaking in a soft voice.
"Then, just stop being friends."
The taller figure says it easily, but it makes the listener's eyes widen. His handsome face slowly shakes as if he can't process why the other person is saying this. This makes the one speaking let out a small sigh before explaining his reasoning.
"I'll admit, even though being friends with you hasn't made the family business any better, I like your personality. Talking to you doesn't annoy me, so I'm just giving you a friendly warning. Hanging out with the regular department people won't help at all. Even with ICs, you still have to choose who you can be friends with and who you can't. How will you know who's after your money?"
Pete can only grip his phone tightly, staring at the speaker, who doesn't realize how this is a severe insult, then turns his face away.
Don't take it too seriously. I know how this friend is, Pete.
"It's not like that for everyone, though."
"But it's mostly that way." Of course, once prejudice settles in, it's hard to get rid of it. This makes Pete let out a long sigh, deciding to send a message immediately because he doesn't want Ae to meet this friend.
"I assure you, not everyone is like that." Pete doesn't know why he is so confident, but he is sure that Ae isn't with him because of money.
The listener only shrugs before picking up his earphones and putting them in his ears.
"I'll be watching."
~~~
"You, let's go eat noodles in front of the university!"
As soon as the cheering ends, Ai Pond grabs his friend's neck and pulls him close, making a look as if saying, "You have to do what I want."
This makes the smaller football player sigh, knowing that if he says no, Pond will throw out a hundred excuses to persuade him.
"Alright, alright, noodles it is. But when we go out, you'll probably want chicken rice."
"Of course, Pond's got style, I can pick whatever I want..."
"Does that even matter? It's food, not a woman. Well, in that case, I can choose to have pork leg with skin rather than just the meat." Piing says, mocking Pond's craziness.
Then before Pond can retort, a sweet voice cuts in.
"Food, you can choose, but I heard you can't choose women. My friend said you were cursed out by Em, that Arts kid, right in the Thai class."
Thud
"Ahhh! Please! Ai Bow, I beg you, don't talk about that girl! Pleaseee, oh my god! It hurts! She said I'm not even a quarter Italian! She said I only have a fragment of humanity, the rest isn't human!" Then, the handsome quarter-Italian slumps down into a squat, covering his face, looking like he can't handle hearing a woman say that to him.
Still Ae thinks that if Pond didn't act this way, no one would insult him.
Hmph.
Then, the football player turns and grabs the phone that's vibrating in his pocket. Before he can even pick up, the other party hangs up. But the name that shows up on the screen makes him raise an eyebrow.
Did Khun-chai dial the wrong number, or is there something going on...
"Hey, Ai Ae, you there?"
"Hold on a sec." Even though his friend calls out to him, the person holding the phone stops him and immediately calls back the one he's worried about.
It's not like they're calling for help... no, it's already 8 PM. They should be home by now.
"Uhm, Ae..."
Pete picks up almost immediately, and speaks awkwardly, which makes Ae worry even more. Ae's voice gets more serious as he asks. "Is something wrong? I saw you called."
"Uh... nothing. I just... um... I just saw that it's already 8 PM, and I wanted to know if you finished cheerleading practice."
"If you hadn't finished, you wouldn't have called me, so I wouldn't have answered. Anyway, where are you? Have you gotten home yet?" Ae says jokingly, feeling relieved knowing that nothing is wrong. But after a brief moment, he frowns. Why am I so worried about him?
"Ah, not yet. I'm at the faculty. I just finished group work."
"Hey, have you had dinner yet?" The listener immediately furrows his brow, and the answer is exactly what he expects.
"Not yet."
"Alright, then just wait for me. I'm in that building, don't stand outside alone. I'll come find you. That's it." With that, the well-proportioned guy decides to say everything in one go and hangs up, turning to tell his waiting friends.
"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up. I need to pick up a friend first."
"That IC kid?" Ai Piing asks curiously, which makes Ae snap his head toward him.
"Can you shut up sometimes? Yeah, I'm going to pick up Pete first. I'll follow after." After saying that, Ae doesn't wait for Piing's teasing and quickly leaves the faculty, walking fast.
It's already quite dark, and he doesn't want that Khun-chai wandering around alone. He'll probably get himself hurt again.
Pete doesn't even know why he calls Ae. Maybe it's because he feels regret for not meeting him earlier in the afternoon. So, when he separates from his friends, he subconsciously calls Ae without thinking. He only feels like… he wants to hear his voice.
But once he calls, he realizes Ae might not be free to talk, so he quickly hangs up. He never expects the other party to call back, and even more surprising is that they end up eating together.
Now, the pale-skinned guy can only raise his hand and gently rub his ear where he had just lowered the phone. He feels his cheek burning with embarrassment.
Ae's voice on the phone is low and husky, with a steady tone, yet the feeling that he's speaking right next to his ear makes Pete's heart race. His hand holding the phone starts to tremble slightly.
"Ah, Ae."
"Where are you? I've arrived."
"At the spot where you dropped me off last time, Ae."
"I told you to wait in the building. What if that fucking shit-lizard comes!?!"
Pete doesn't know why, but he's smiling now. Smiling widely just from hearing the other person's irritated cursing. He's happy that Ae is concerned for him, so he just keeps smiling like that, even when Ae runs up to him and starts lecturing him like he's a little kid.
"I told you to wait inside the building next time. It's dark and isolated out here. At least wait near the guard. Do you even understand what I'm saying?"
"I understand."
"You're smiling. Why are you smiling?"
Pete immediately stops smiling, lowering his head slightly at Ae's deep strong voice scolding him. This seems to make Ae realize something because he roughly rubs Pete's head.
"Yeah, why am I scolding you anyway? You're not even my Nong… let's go. My friends are waiting." Ae furrows his brows deeply at his own concern, intending to walk ahead.
Pete hesitates slightly about whether he should follow because Ae is probably going to eat with his friends. But just then, the shorter guy turns back to meet his eyes.
"Ai Pete."
"Yes?" Pete can only respond when Ae steps closer. His large hand moves nearer, causing Pete's small heart to race. His eyes widen, thinking Ae is going to grab his cheek like before, making him tense up visibly.
Grab.
"Why aren't you wearing your tie today? Well, I guess a good-looking guy looks handsome no matter what he wears." But then that hand grabs Pete's shirt collar, where the top button is undone, tugging it lightly and fluttering it as if teasing Pete for not wearing his usual regulation tie today.
"Um, Ae also…"
"You don't have to try complimenting me back. Let's go, or Ai Pond will get annoyed."
The one being complimented definitely has a flushed face, undoubtedly from embarrassment. But then he remembers, as is typical of someone who always reciprocates when given something, that since he's been complimented, he has to compliment back. However, the reason for his silence isn't that he can't think of anything—it's because the other person has too many good qualities.
But Ae doesn't think that way, finding it amusing. He knows there's nothing worth mentioning about himself, so he cuts off the overly polite guy by grabbing his elbow and pulling him along. Otherwise, in another hour, they'd probably still not have eaten Ai Pond's red pork noodles.
Pete lowers his gaze to the warm touch on his elbow, his heart pounding alarmingly fast. Even though he knows the other person doesn't expect any compliment, he decides to speak in a soft voice.
"Ae is… really cool."
The moment Pete says it, he feels embarrassed himself, while the listener turns to look at him briefly before shrugging it off as if it's no big deal.
"Probably it's just you who'd say something like that."
Despite Ae saying that, Pete presses his lips together slightly and tells himself silently.
Would it be wrong if I wanted to be the only one who knows just how cool Ae can be? Just me and no one else.
NEXT Chapter 6 - Falling...Even Deeper in Love
Comments
Post a Comment