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Perspective - Ae (Inthach)
Snip.
"Cut the stem and hang it upside down... is this how you do it?"
I used to think that the first and only time I'd receive flowers would be on my graduation day. So, even I didn't expect to be holding a beautiful bouquet of roses in my hands after always criticizing my friends and seniors for wasting money on such things. Now though, I understand the value—both for the giver and the receiver. Since I'm the one receiving them, I actually feel happy. That's why I'm following P'Pete's senior's advice by pulling out three roses, cutting the stems, and tying them up with string.
As for the rest of the bouquet, I place it in a tall glass of water on Pete's desk.
This seems like a better place for them than leaving them out for Ai'Pond to sniff.
"Where's Ae EG?"
"Shit!" While I'm hanging the roses near Pete's closet, intending to take them back to my dorm tomorrow, I hear a voice that makes me curse. No, I'm not swearing at anyone or even annoyed. I'm just... embarrassed, I guess.
So I do everything to get it done and then walk out of the bedroom door, seeing the owner of the room sitting on the sofa with his trusty phone, smiling widely. His eyes are fixed on the screen, which is showing a clip from the afternoon without blinking, even though... he's probably replayed it four or five times by now.
"Look at this, Ai'Ae is blushing so much!" If there's anything different about this clip from how I felt this afternoon, it's that this one has Ai'Pond's voiceover, who secretly recorded it, added in.
"Watch, everyone, whoever hasn't seen Ai'Ae blush, watch this. It's so hilarious!"
I swear tomorrow I'm going to burn Ai'Pond's Miyabi body pillow! "It must be love..."
Grab.
"Stop watching it already." As the love song starts, I reach over and grab Ai'Pete's phone, locking the screen to make him look up.
Usually, when I use a stern voice, Ai'Pete backs down. This time, not only does he not back down, he's smiling so wide his eyes almost close.
"Ae's blushing."
"I'm not."
I won't admit that my face is hot.
"Ae is blushing, right? Right?" As soon as he gets the chance, he goes all out, climbing up from his seat, using both knees on the sofa, grabbing the edge with both hands, leaning his face toward mine.
Grab.
"I already told you I'm not blushing. Why do you keep watching?" I press his forehead lightly, not daring to push hard because I know Ai'Pete is fragile. Instead of stopping, he grabs my hand.
"Because Ae is cute, so we want to keep watching."
"Cute? Me!" I ask in disbelief, making him nod eagerly.
Taking advantage of his distraction, I reach out to grab his phone back, turn around, sit in the same position, and... play the same clip again.
The sight makes me grit my teeth.
"Tomorrow, I'll make Ai'Pond delete the clip!"
"Sure."
Why does he agree so easily?
I'm surprised because my romantic partner says so, then he looks up at me, and I feel that... He looks damn cute.
That handsome face with a wide smile and twinkling eyes, and he says in a clear voice, "Because I already got the file from Pond."
"Bloody fucking cur!" I'm not cursing him, I'm cursing that damn friend who uploaded the clip to YouTube.
Even though he kept it private, sending it to the whole group of friends isn't much different from making it public. Damn!
"Ae, are you mad at me?" When Ai'Pete looks up at me, starting to look a bit down, probably realizing that he went too far today, I shake my head.
"I'm not mad at you, but please stop watching." I ask him nicely as I walk over to sit next to him on the sofa.
Ai'Pete glances at me, looking like he wants to say something but doesn't.
"What?" I ask. He looks back down at the screen, then...
Thump.
"Ae, you said I could lie on your lap, right?" He drops his head onto my lap, looking up at me in a way that makes me freeze for a moment.
Then, the reason I freeze... is because I'm stunned by how cute he is. Lately, he seems unaware that whenever we're alone together, he becomes more affectionate with me each time.
"Lie down, I've never said no." I place my hand on his hair, gently stroking it, making him smile, even as his cheeks flush red. He turns back to play the clip again while still talking to me.
"I know I might have pushed my luck a bit today, but I'm happy that I could do this for you. Even though I wasn't there, I got to see you smile, got to see you blush, and that makes me really happy—really, really happy."
The song "It Must Be Love" is still playing from his phone, but I think the sweetest sound is coming from the person lying with a red face on my lap. I brush some of his hair aside, revealing his smooth forehead.
I keep playing with Ai'Pete's hair for a while, as he keeps smiling and watching the clip of my most embarrassing moment of the year. Then...
"Do you want me to do something like this for you?" I ask, seriously.
Since we've been together, I feel like Ai'Pete has "given" me a lot of things, while I feel like I haven't given him anything in return. However, it seems like this question makes him take his eyes off the screen, lowering his hand.
"No."
"Why?"
He pauses for a moment, but just briefly before he starts smiling again, reaching out to take my hand, which is resting on his forehead.
Peck.
Ai'Pete pulls my hand up to kiss it, and it's clear how embarrassed he is despite how calm he tries to appear.
"Ae, you don't need to surprise me with anything. Just being you, as you are, every day, is all I need. Because Ae gives me something every day. Being with you makes me so happy that I don't need any surprises at all." His words leave me stunned, and I just watch as Ai'Pete softly kisses the back of my hand. The feeling in my chest... swells, I guess?
"What do I give you?" I ask, genuinely confused about what it is I've supposedly given him. Ai'Pete sits up, looking into my eyes.
"Ae, don't you know that you always give me something?"
"No."
He smiles again, and lately, he's been bold enough to hug me first. Then he leans his head on my shoulder.
"Ae gives me consistency. Not more, not less. Just this... is enough for me."
I can tell Ai'Pete genuinely means what he says. He isn't lying; I'd know if he was. The more he speaks though, the more guilty I feel. I've never given him anything, really. Sure, I give him consistency, but I've never been the attentive, thoughtful type like he is with me.
Now I start to wonder... Is there something I could do for him?
Not to repay him—but because Ai'Pete is important to me.
Perspective - Pete (Pitchaya)
"Welcome, everyone, to the 6Xth Annual University Games! This sporting event not only enhances students' athletic skills but also fosters relationships between universities."
"That's right! This event will rotate hosting duties each year, and for this year, the host is XXX University, which we've heard has prepared some spectacular performances for everyone."
"Oh, wow! Now I'm really excited!"
"I'm excited too, so let's get started..."
"It's starting! It's starting!"
At this moment, I'm probably more excited than the two famous hosts on stage combined. My eyes dart around, scanning the surroundings like a kid entering an amusement park for the first time, which honestly feels pretty accurate.
After all, I'm here at the opening ceremony of the 6Xth Annual University Games.
This huge event gathers student athletes from all over the country to compete. The stands are filled with spectators from various regions, watching the opening ceremony in the university's main stadium. In the center of the field, there's a performance going on, while I crane my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the person I'm here to cheer for.
It's the first major sporting event I've ever attended. No, it's the first time I've come to watch Ae compete. So, how could I not be excited?
"I think you're more excited than everyone here put together," Pond teases.
"Just a little bit, Pond," I reply, embarrassed.
I must be showing it too much because even Pond, who's fanning himself with a paper to fight off the intense heat, teases me with a laugh, making me let out a soft groan.
"Honestly, I think coming in the evening, close to the first match, would have been enough. No need to come for the opening ceremony. It's hot, and there are too many people."
I do feel for Pond. The thing is, after I told Ae—no, insisted to Ae that I'd come to cheer, I have no idea how he managed to force Pond into tagging along. So Pond ends up coming with me, even though Ae said...
"Ai'Pond is always looking for excuses to skip anyway. I just asked him once or twice, and he agreed. So you don't have to worry about him."
That's what Ae said. So, I just sit there quietly, continuing to scan the field for him.
"Pond, don't you think there are fewer people than we expected?" I voice my observation, and the person next to me nods.
"That's normal. If it's not held at their own university, how many people would be willing to travel all the way to another university to cheer for a team they don't know will win or lose? Especially for the smaller matches, trust me. Out there on the field, the number of supporters is about the same as the number of mangoes on an unfertilized tree."
"And is that a lot or a little?" I ask dryly, not understanding his comparison, causing Pond to laugh.
"Very few... Let me ask you this: If Ai'Ae weren't competing, would you drive two hours to come and cheer him on?"
True.
I nod slowly as the opening ceremony ends and the athletes begin their march. While some universities have dozens, even close to a hundred athletes, others have so few you could count them on your fingers.
"Is our university's football team good, Pond?" Even though I go to watch Ae practice almost every evening, I still can't tell if the team is good or not.
These days, when I watch football with Ae, I can only tell if the players are handsome or not. Of course, I'm not going to tell Ae that.
"What do you think? Do you think they're good?" Pond asks back, making me shake my head.
"I don't know."
It's not that they aren't good, but I really don't know. That makes the person next to me laugh.
"They're good, but they never win."
"Huh?" I turn to look at the person, whose face is covered in sweat, as he begins to explain.
"Our university's football team is good, but good in a way that's too individual. Every time they take the field... they never win."
"Is it that bad?"
"Yeah. I don't get it either. Even though our university has a football faculty, the team barely ever makes it to the finals. Especially in university sports. If you ask the senior from Tech, he remembers every result since we first joined the competition. We never win, not in the big events. The last time we made it to the final four, they went wild with celebration. They said it was a sign of improvement," he says while pulling a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to me.
"For this draw, I think we've got a chance in the first round. After that... It's tough as hell, even with Ai'Ae on the team this year. Because football is a team sport, not an individual one. One skilled player can't beat teamwork." Hearing that, I start to feel anxious.
Pat, pat.
"Come on, don't worry just yet. We've got Ai'Ae this year! He led the futsal team to sweep the regional awards before. Since he's giving it his all, our job is to cheer as hard as we can."
That's right. I can't worry on behalf of the athletes. I'm here to cheer, so I should cheer with hope that we'll win.
"Hey, hey! It's our turn!" As I turn around again, the procession of athletes has reached our university. I stand up with Pond, who claps and cheers loudly, along with several seniors from other faculties who came to show their support. My eyes are searching for just one person.
The one walking quietly, not waving to anyone. When Ae lifts his head, I think he sees me, and I can feel that he's smiling, making my face... burn.
Even though he's surrounded by so many people in the same tracksuits, I can't help but feel that Ae is the coolest one among them.
"Where's Ai'Ae? I only see Ai'Khaen. That guy's way too cheerful." When Pond turns to ask me, I suddenly realize that I haven't paid any attention to Khaen at all, even though he's been jumping, waving, and dancing all around the field. I know now that my eyes always land on a certain someone, whether I intend them to or not.
"He's on the far end, three people down from Khaen."
"Wow, hidden completely by the Tech senior. How the hell did you spot that shorty?" Pond asks, stunned, and I manage to reply,
"Maybe it's the power of love."
This time, Pond turns to me, eyes wide, before giving me a heavy slap on the shoulder. "Wow, you've really grown, huh? Hahaha! Before, you wouldn't dare say anything. You were a total Khun-chai. Now you're talking about the power of love. Oh man, if this were two years ago, even Ai'Ae wouldn't believe that someone could love him this much. Your story is seriously entertaining."
I start to feel embarrassed as Pond's voice gets louder, and I realize that he didn't come here to cheer for Ae. I think he came to keep an eye on me instead. Just like Ae always says... uh... to make a choice.
"Ai'Pete!!!"
I just sit down next to Pond by the field when the person I just separated from moments ago jogs over, shouting loudly enough to make me turn in surprise.
"Yes, Ae, did you forget something?"
"No." Ae's eyes look oddly worried for me, and then he says… "Move over, will you? The sun is really strong here; you might faint from the heat. You're not in great shape, either."
Sometimes I think Ae worries too much about me, because I'm not that weak at all.
"It's just the sun. It's already four o'clock."
"Exactly! You should be a little concerned for your friends." It's not me who says that, but Pond, who immediately gets up to lean on the edge of the field.
He teases Ae with a smile that doesn't surprise me when Ae responds, "You bloody cur! Don't meddle!"
"Wow, two swear words in one sentence! I can choose to sit nearby, or I can choose to sit far away," Pond says, and his "far away" means he takes two steps back, sits down, and leans back, resting his chin on his hands while watching us. Ae glares at him, but of course, Pond doesn't seem to care at all.
"As for you, go find a shady spot." I look around, then meet his gaze again, smiling faintly.
"If Ae wants me to find a shady spot, I'll have to go sit outside the field because I'll find sunlight everywhere... I'm fine, Ae. You don't have to worry." I reassure him again, noticing that the Tech seniors turn to look this way, probably wondering where Ae has gone, especially since he's about to go on the field in a few minutes. But my words make Ae frown.
"Just a second," Ae says. Before I can ask him what he wants me to wait for, he spins around and runs back to the field. However, he doesn't join the team. Instead, he veers towards a pile of bags and shouts something to Champ, who then runs over to him.
"What is he doing?" Pond turns to me, and I shake my head.
A moment later, Ae runs back towards us with... a hat.
He quickly puts the hat on my head, and I widen my eyes in surprise.
"Put this on. I don't want to worry about you both on the field and off it," he says. I'm shocked, really shocked that he ran to get me a hat. I know well that Ae cares about me. He truly cares about me no matter when. However, before I can say thank you...
The whistle blows to call the players together, and Ae squeezes my hand tightly before letting go. Before I can say anything, he smiles at me.
That smile makes me freeze in place.
Ae, in his football uniform, with a backdrop of green grass and sunlight shining on his back, creates flickering shadows. That smile directed at me makes him say,
"I'll bring the victory to you." After saying that, he turns and runs onto the field, leaving me standing there frozen, my heart pounding so hard I can't catch the rhythm. I feel...
That I don't even know how many times I've fallen for him.
"Heh, with your face turning red like that, are you going to faint from the heat, Ai'Pete?" I slump down silently, gripping the brim of the cap tightly as Pond leans in to whisper in his usual playful tone.
“That hat, I remember, belongs to Phii Champ. He bloody fucking treasures it. I suspect Ai’Ae must have coerced the senior into giving it to him. Believe me, he must have agreed to be Phii Champ’s errand boy for an entire week just for borrowing the hat for two hours. Such possessiveness, huh? Huh-huh.”
He says it like this. What can I do but sit silently, not daring to talk back to Pond? It is as if he deliberately finds a way to tease me every minute. “Did Ai’Ae promise to make a hat-trick or something?” And suddenly, Pond turns to ask me in a serious voice, making me look up, asking back anxiously.
“No, why do you ask?” Ae did not say he would score three goals. He only said he would bring me victory...that’s all.
“Oh, really? I thought he promised you.” I can only look confused as Pond gradually lifts a sly smile. Then he leans in to whisper next to my ear.
“Have you never read a novel? The male leads who are football players often promise something, don’t they? If they make a hat-trick, the female lead must agree to dot-dot-dot. But for Ai’Ae, it’s probably...if I make a hat-trick, I’ll ask for three rounds of rewards...”
Bang!
“Hey!!!” Before Pond even finishes speaking, the football flies toward the spectator seats, making me flinch and duck, unlike Pond, who must not have been prepared because he yells out loud, startled, and turns to look at the football field just like me. And if I am not mistaken, I see how fierce Ae’s expression is.
And yes, the ball soaring through the air must definitely come from player number seven.
“Hey, this is aimed directly at me!!!” Pond mutters softly, but trust me, he does not dare bring his face near my ear to whisper throughout the match, even though his words keep echoing in my head.
Three goals, three rounds of rewards...I don’t think Ae thinks like that...probably not, right?
Bang!
~~~
“Score!!!” The first person to score in this match is the team captain, punching the air repeatedly while shouting loudly, satisfied with his achievement. I can only cheer along, but I think the one cheering louder than anyone is Khaen, sitting as a substitute. He cheers so loudly that it reaches the spectator seats.
After that, the first half ends without any additional scores. Until the second half, when the opposing team scores one goal, bringing the score to a tie at 1-1. As the final five minutes approach, both teams give it their all, and now Phii Techno is swiftly dribbling the ball, confronting the opponent’s defenders.
Whoosh.
I am in awe as Phii Techno feints a kick in another direction and spins to pass the ball to Ae, who runs in quickly from midfield. The path is clear there, but I catch sight of the other team rushing in to block, making me grip my pants nervously.
“Score, score, it has to go in,” I silently pray, tense, as Ae nears the goal.
Clang.
The ball hits the goalpost with a loud sound, and while everyone expresses their disappointment, I watch Ae chase after the ball, and then...
Bang!
“It’s in!!!” I stand up before anyone else, shouting loudly, as Ae kicks the ball with full force, and the sound of it hitting the back of the net echoes. Pond then stands up after me and lets out a resounding cheer.
“This is how it’s done, Ai’Shorty!!!” Pond shouts loudly, while Ae jumps in the field and then turns to look at me, raising his hand in my direction. I lift my hand in the same gesture back, feeling like he is smiling widely as Phii Type runs over to ruffle his hair vigorously.
And so, in the first football match, we win with a score of 2-1, thanks to the team captain and the first-year newcomer...my romantic partner. I’m not bragging, really. I just want everyone to know how skilled my romantic partner is...not bragging at all.
~~~
Today is the second day of the competition, and as soon as I finish my classes, I search for my friend (whom I wish to call my close friend), Tinn. I then plead, persuade, and do everything to drag him along to cheer for the university football team with me. At first, he resists, but perhaps out of sheer annoyance, Tinn eventually agrees to drive his car to follow me. Now, we are walking along the edge of the field toward the same seating area where I sat with Pond yesterday.
"Tinn, do not make that face."
"It is a waste of time."
"But Khaen would definitely want you to come cheer for him," I say. Perhaps I am imagining things, but I think these two are having problems. I just want to help, at least by getting Tinn to meet Khaen.
"Whether I come or not probably does not matter to him," Tinn murmurs. His tone leaves me stunned, confirming my suspicion that they are indeed having issues. At that moment...
"Tinn!"
I turn toward the voice and see Khaen, dressed in a white football uniform, eyes wide with surprise but legs rushing quickly toward us, his expression a mix of astonishment and delight.
"Hey, you came to cheer for me?"
I silently pray Tinn does not say anything harsh, because he just stares at Khaen expressionlessly. Khaen’s smile falters by the second.
"You are still mad at me, aren't you?"
I feel I should step aside because they might want to talk privately, but after a brief silence, Tinn finally responds.
"No. Do your best."
I cannot help but let out a sigh of relief that Tinn decides to speak civilly. That makes someone as cheerful as Khaen smile broadly, giving my friend a firm pat on the shoulder.
"I cannot believe you actually came to cheer for me. I thought you were mad at me to the point you wouldn’t even look at my face. Honestly, I’m so happy. I will play my best. Oh, but right now, I am just a substitute. I’m praying someone trips over the ball and gets injured so I can play instead. I mean it—I’m really happy. Hey, are you not mad at me anymore?"
I have no idea what they were mad about, but Khaen repeatedly saying he is happy makes it clear that he truly is.
His previously dejected demeanor transforms into unrestrained energy as he runs and dances his way back to his team.
"Why don’t you try talking to him after the match?" I suggest softly, but my friend shakes his head.
"In the end, the result will be the same, because he...does not see me as more than a friend."
But Khaen was so happy that Tinn came, was he not?
Of course, I do not dare voice this thought. Instead, I walk with Tinn to the spectator seats. And yes, I already informed Ae about this beforehand to prevent another football from flying into the stands as it did yesterday.
Now, I should stop worrying about my friends and focus on cheering wholeheartedly, especially since the second round of the competition—one Pond describes as bloody difficult—has begun.
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