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Two months later.....
"This is getting good. Next, volume 45."
Inside a student dormitory not far from a famous university, the room's owner, Sky, was lying on a large bed, wiggling his legs. Dozens of manga volumes were piled on the mattress beside him. After finishing one, he would toss the volume in his hand onto the pile with the others, then roll to the edge of the bed to search for the next volume from the full set he had just bought.
"Hey, this is 46. Where's volume 45?"
After grabbing the top book and finding it wasn't the one he wanted, the person who had been lazing around since yesterday sprang up from the crumpled sheets. He rummaged through the 70 manga volumes he'd bought all at once, intending to read until his eyes were sore. But whether he checked the spines or dumped the remaining books out onto the bed until it was full, Sky still couldn't find the volume he was looking for, his brow furrowing sharply.
"What the hell? From 46 to 70, it's all here! So where's my volume 45?!" The room's owner grumbled irritably. He had sat down to arrange the unread books and found only one missing. His eyes then spotted the receipt that had been stuffed inside falling out when he dumped the books. He grabbed it, thinking that if they charged him for 70 volumes, Sky would dash right over and tear the shop owner apart.
Sky wouldn't get angry at just anything, but he didn't want anyone to interrupt him right in the middle of reading manga!
I've found the source of the trouble, Sky thought.
Thump!
Once he realized that, Sky flopped back down onto the bed, spreading out. He raised his hands to rub his eyes, which were starting to sting from reading manga day and night. But when he was this engrossed, nothing could stop him. Besides, he'd gotten used to sleep deprivation during the semester. Just lying around reading stupid manga all day wouldn't hurt him like when the professors assigned work back-to-back.
"What time is it anyway?"
With the book sequence interrupted, the person who hated skipping anything asked about the time. Just a glance at the clock on the wall made him not surprised in the least why his eyes stung this much.
He'd probably been sleep-deprived for a day and a half.
The thought made him rub his slightly hollow stomach because, upon realizing he hadn't slept, he also became aware that he hadn't eaten either. "Eat, shower, sleep. Wake up and go buy volume 45," the young man concluded to himself, then walked to open the fridge to see what there was to sustain life. Because even though he was a dorm student, not every dorm student relies on instant noodles, you know. At the very least, let it be a frozen meal with some rice.
This was the daily routine of Sky during the break.
Even though during the semester, Sky was one of the respected class committee members in the Faculty of Architecture, during the break when he didn't have to run around frantically, hand in assignments to professors in a flurry, draw blueprints more than he called his parents, and be responsible for class activities, the young man also wanted to laze around, oblivious to night and day.
Even if he had been acting like this for a month now.
Finding a ready-made meal, Sky didn't hesitate to shove it into the microwave. He took off his shirt and threw it in the laundry basket, thinking he'd take a refreshing shower and then eat his meal... whatever meal it was. But before he could even take his pants off, his phone screamed from near under the pillow, making him walk lazily towards the source of the sound.
"Fighting with your Phûa again and complaining to me, right?"
Sky sounded annoyed, but a faint smile touched his lips, amused by his close friend, Warain, who used to call every single day, whining about failing to pick up girls. Now that he had a male romantic partner (yes, you read that right!), now that he had a romantic partner, a real one, he didn't call to annoy Sky as much. When he did call, it was when he had a problem and wanted advice. And believe me, early in the morning like this, it could only be him.
Architecture students weren't known for waking up early, even during breaks.
However, the ten-digit number displayed on the screen made him frown intently.
It probably wasn't the friend he thought it was. And Sky didn't think about hanging up either, because as they say... he was a class committee member. Sometimes there were calls from professors, staff, or seniors he barely talked to, coming to ask about activities. What else could it be at this time if not the freshman orientation activities?
In a few weeks, Sky would be a sophomore. And he was extremely lucky that that Chik, another classmate, had volunteered to be the Head Sophomore. He also hoped that when it came time to be a junior, the main head overseeing the entire freshman orientation, someone would volunteer like this. Because having Sky sit and do piles of paperwork was still better than having to go be all jovial in front of the freshmen. Honestly, he probably couldn't do it.
He was a quiet person, preferring to stay quiet and not have problems with anyone. So, this person who disliked having problems with anyone pressed accept immediately.
"Hello."
But there was only silence on the other end, forcing him to speak again.
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
[Crystal clear.]
The listener frowned at the playful tone but wasn't suspicious yet. One could say he had completely forgotten about it.
"Who is speaking?"
[And who is asking?]
Annoying fucker!
Sky narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing by instinct that the person on the other end was messing with him. He just genuinely couldn't remember who this voice belonged to among his acquaintances. It might well be a senior who liked teasing juniors. Cursing back would only bring trouble, and trouble was something a peace-loving person like him didn't need. He just sighed slightly and spoke in a businesslike tone.
"Sky speaking."
[What a cute name.]
"If you called just for that, then I'm hanging up."
[Impatient too.]
No matter how cool-headed he was, encountering this made his eyebrow twitch.
"Yes, I'm an impatient person. So, I'm hanging up now."
[Is anything else hot too?]
What a psycho.
But before Sky could press end, the other end spoke with a laughter-tinged voice that was starting to sound familiar, though he still couldn't place it. In his heart, he cursed fully, thinking definitely a psycho, but he was the sturdy-minded type; even faced with this, he could remain calm. Unlike his multiplying curiosity about who this damned nuisance really was.
"Well, my whole body is hot, of course."
[Tsk! What's hot? Should I come help cool you down?]
The person on this end gave a cold, sarcastic smile.
"Humans are warm-blooded animals. I'm human, so it's not strange if my body is a bit hot. Therefore, you don't need to come help me. It's just that I don't like mingling with cold-blooded animals. That's all." Then he hung up.
Bloody fucking! "Shit-lizard!"
The meaning of the curse he'd just let out was clear.
Since cold-blooded animals are reptiles, and the first reptile that came to Sky's mind was... the shit-lizard!
If the guy had the brains to figure it out, then the insult hit its mark. But if not... just let him remain stupid, that's fine too.
"Annoyed first thing in the morning," Sky thought.
Ding!
Right at that moment, the microwave beeped. The irritated person took a deep breath, threw the phone on the bed, opened the microwave door, grabbed the hot rice box, and tossed it onto the low Japanese table, followed by grabbing a spoon not far away. He pushed the thoughts of the psycho out of his mind. But before he could even open the lid of the rice box...
Rrrrrrrrrrrring!
The phone's owner took a deep breath, turned to grab it and look, and found it was the same damned psycho's number.
"If you have so much free time, I recommend you call a psychiatrist for a consultation."
[Boo hoo, I'm not going. Even if I went, the doctor couldn't help me anyway.]
The cheerful tone came through the line. He probably hadn't realized he'd just been insulted a moment ago.
"I think..."
[Because I'm sick with the disease of love.]
Gulp!
The listener swallowed all the words down his throat, surprised to hear something like this. But it lasted only a second because...
"If it's scurvy, then go shove some vitamin C in your mouth. Calling me won't help."
The other end laughed softly, a sound that was indescribably ticklish, along with the retort...
[I really have the disease of 'lllllllove'.]
This time, he rolled his 'L' fully, making the person on this end roll his eyes, thinking his patience was nearing its limit. He was on the verge of throwing the phone against the wall. The more he talked with this nerve-wracking person, the more his stomach growled loudly, and he even felt a sharp, stabbing pain, as if gastritis was paying a visit.
Not to mention...
[Get ready, because I'm going to court you now.]
The listener pressed his lips together, his brain working at lightning speed to figure out who the person on the other end really was.
"Who are you?" Since he couldn't figure it out, he asked directly.
[Handsome Breeze, of course.]
But the more he listened, the less Sky could figure it out. The only person he knew that was closest to the word 'wind' was probably Phîi Payu, who was Warain's romantic partner. But just thinking that his friend's romantic partner would talk like this made his hair stand on end. There was no way that Phîi Payu would flirt like this. Furthermore, that guy loved Warain to death; it was impossible for him to be promiscuous.
The silent, still demeanor made the other end continue, amused.
[Oh, and prepare your heart too, because I'm not playing around... Well then, I won't bother you anymore. Bye-bye.]
"Wait..."
But it was Sky who ended up calling out. However, the other person was quicker to hang up. All he could do was stare at the screen which now showed the image of his favorite anime character, his brain pondering heavily: had he accidentally done something to make someone take a fancy to him? Whether he sat and thought or lay on his side and thought... there was nothing.
He had stopped going out since entering university. He never told anyone he was gay. So, if there was any time it could be related, it was probably the incident several months ago.
Sky had carelessly slept with a guy he met at the racing event that time. But that was several months ago, so long ago he had practically forgotten. Furthermore, the short time they spent together told him that a guy like that would never be serious with anyone. He just flirted with everyone he fancied, and Sky just happened to be there at the right time.
Suddenly, the face of the man who seemed so self-confident flashed into his mind. Those playful honey-colored eyes, the lips that always curled into a smile at the corners, and the charm the guy was so confident he was full of. Sky himself hadn't been able to stop himself from making that man kneel and submit on the bed.
Everything flooded into his head, forcing him to close his eyes.
"No, it can't be. I didn't even know his name, he didn't give me his number. It might just be a psycho randomly dialing numbers," Sky thought.
Sky pushed this thought away. But before he could pick up his spoon to eat...
"Will I get to eat today or not?" Sky thought.
He grumbled irritably, glanced at the screen for a moment, and then answered the call.
"What do you want?"
[I want to tell the cute Nong Sky that even if you call me a shit-lizard, it doesn't hurt. I'm used to it. Hehe.]
The other end said just that and then hung up, leaving Sky gaping, speechless. Especially the soft laughter at the end, which showed how amused the other person was by his curse. He raised his hand, ready to throw the phone away, but...
"What now!!!"
This time, the usually cool person was thoroughly heated up. So, Sky answered without even looking at the caller ID, asking in an irritated voice. And that...
[Dude, what's wrong with you? Are you mad at me?]
This time, Sky recognized the voice perfectly clearly.
"Âi' Rain."
[Yeah, it's me. Are you okay or something? Are you mad at me? Don't be mad, okay? I haven't done anything yet.]
His close friend's voice was whiny, clearly sounding guilty, which made Sky heave a deep sigh. He didn't want to take his irritation out on his friend. The tone of his reply was thus much cooler than before.
"No, I'm just about to eat, and you called and interrupted."
[Uh, then I'll hang up first. You enjoy your meal, okay.]
But was it possible for Âi' Rain not to sense that he was absolutely murderous? So, he said in a dry voice and hung up.
Sky shook his head slowly. Even though he was surprised that someone like Âi' Rain would hang up so easily and not pry like he always did, right now he wasn't in the mood to wonder about anything. Just thinking about who was calling to annoy him was already a big enough headache. Not to mention the piping hot rice that was almost cold now.
"Handsome Breeze? Hmph! More like 'Damned Breeze,' if you ask me," Sky thought.
Right now, Sky was sleepy, his eyes stung, he was hungry, and he hadn't showered. He thought to himself that if this so-called 'Breeze' was standing in front of him, he would definitely prepare himself. Not to accept any of this crazy courtship nonsense, but to prepare his mind to be a murderer, planning to stab the gut of this nerve-wracking person once in his life.
I'll reheat it, I guess, Sky thought.
In the end, he could only mumble to himself softly, then got up to shove the rice box back into the microwave.
***
But Sky didn't yet know that this so-called 'Breeze' wasn't one that just blew in and passed through easily. As he said... he wasn't playing around.
For a split second, Sky thought the man who called to annoy him might be the same one he'd carelessly had a physical relationship with. But that thought flew out of his mind when he saw the messages the other sent him every single day. Not that Sky was willing to open and read or respond to them, oh no. He didn't have even a shred of a thought to chat with him. But the application that popped up notifications on the screen every time made the young man realize he was the target of a war of nerves.
....Hello. The weather is so nice today. I looked up at the sky and saw Nong Sky too...
What are you doing during the break? I'm so bored...
...The semester is starting soon. Is Nong Sky ready and prepared?...
He actually marveled at the other party's persistence. Even though he didn't respond, didn't even open the messages, they still sent this and that every day. He simply concluded it must be some senior in his faculty, which worried him greatly. Because if it really was a senior and they had to meet face-to-face, how would he reject them without making the other person feel that... I'm annoyed to the fucking sky.
Now Sky wasn't surprised at all that his close friend, Âi' Rain, failed to pick up girls. Just try getting messages like this every day. Instead of feeling thrilled, he could honestly say it was creepy. And the creepiness multiplied when, on the morning the semester started, he heard his phone chime with a short message.
We'll get to see each other today...
It totally gives me the chills.
Sky sighed heavily, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He was the type to accept reality and thought his face wasn't the type to catch anyone's fancy. He wasn't cute like Âi' Rain, or handsome like a Russian (as Âi' Rain often boasted) like Phîi Payu. He didn't stand out with an easy-going, approachable personality like that Chik. He was an ordinary person you could find anywhere. Furthermore, Sky didn't think about enhancing his appearance like he did years ago.
He was just an average person who studied diligently and did a lot of activities, so he knew a lot of people. That was all.
Sky had long stopped thinking he had any charm.
"Seems like that Phîi must have poor taste," Sky said to his phone with a scoff.
Even though one part of him felt creeped out, another part was also curious about who the sender of these messages was. Even if his heart told him he wasn't interested in love.
I should have trusted my first instinct!
The first day of sophomore year wasn't particularly interesting. Even though it was a faculty known for professors assigning brutally tough work, they didn't start piling it on from the first class. The only slightly more interesting thing was that it was the freshman orientation period. But Sky wasn't working on the front lines anymore; he was helping the seniors with documents and things in the background, so he didn't show his face to the freshmen much. The whole day thus wasn't much different from before. Until... It was time to let the freshmen go home.
Yes, the seniors had dismissed the freshmen, but no one told him they had invited a big, dark giant to their faculty!
"Phîi Phai, hello. Is it difficult to find?"
And the source of the trouble was the same person... Âi' Rain.
The cute-faced, diminutive close friend, perfect for being someone's Mia, was running gleefully towards the tall man in a dark shirt and slacks, still wearing a tie loosened down to the second button, under the astonished gaze of Sky, who inadvertently raised a finger to point, losing all composure of a calm person.
"How did you get here?!"
This was the guy he slept with!
"Huh? You know Phîi Phai? Oh, right, that day Phîi Phai asked for your number because he wanted to return something to you, right?"
I've found the source of the trouble!
Sky gritted his teeth, itching to shake his close friend's neck a time or two. But seeing the wide smile that was shrinking smaller and smaller, as if Âi' Rain was starting to realize he shouldn't have given out his friend's number to others without permission, he calmed down a bit. He should first inquire about the origins of this mess... so he could scold him all at once.
"And this..." The speaker used his eyes to convey the rest.
"Uh, you probably know already, but this is Phîi Phai, a close friend of Phîi Payu from the race track. And this is my friend, Phîi Phai, his name is..."
"Sky. Rain already told me."
Sky's eyes told his friend to confess immediately. Warain himself quickly spoke up, eager to please, even while shrinking smaller and smaller. But before he could finish the introduction, the tall guy who had somehow appeared in front of their faculty cut in with a wide smile. He even stepped closer, making Sky feel no qualms about stepping back to show that... he was disgusted.
Okay, this 'Phai' probably wasn't an apple pie, mushroom pie, or chicken pie that you could chew and swallow. It probably came from... Phra Phai.
Handsome Breeze?
The thought made him inadvertently sweep his eyes over the man from head to toe, which wasn't his habit. And that...
"Am I as handsome as I advertised myself?"
The listener bit his lip until it turned pale white immediately, suppressing the vulgarities that rose to his throat, swallowing them back down. Because no matter what, this was his friend's romantic partner's friend. He himself didn't want to have problems here. Furthermore... he didn't want his close friend to know what kind of relationship he had with the man in front of him.
"Uh, and where's the thing you said you brought for Phîi Payu?" Seeing the situation turning bad, Âi' Rain quickly tried to defuse it, though Sky could see he was also subtly shuffling away from his reach.
"Ah, here it is." What the man in front pulled out from his pants pocket was a single, crumpled, folded-in-half piece of paper, which he handed to Warain.
"It's very important, Rain. The most important thing. I'm entrusting it to Âi'Payu for a bit."
Even though Sky couldn't see how it was different from a piece of scrap paper, he didn't say anything because his close friend also made a disbelieving face but still put that piece of paper in his pocket. Then the sharp eyes swept back to look at him, the lips spreading into a broad smile, the expression looking as supremely satisfied as it had on the day of the race.
"And also... pleased to meet you again, Nong Sky."
But I'm not pleased to meet you!
Sky's eyes said as much. Even though he wanted to push this crazy courtship away, the other party had to appear right in front of him. And you didn't need to be an Einstein to guess the whole story.
The other party got his number from Âi' Rain. And while Sky had secretly hoped this man was just one of the racers at the track, unrelated to anyone close to him, it turned out that this Phîi Phai was a close friend of Phîi Payu, who was in turn Âi' Rain's romantic partner. That alone was enough to piece the whole scene together.
Phîi Phai tricked his number out of Âi' Rain. And judging from the conflicted, uneasy expression on his close friend's face, he had probably carelessly blurted it out. And there was no need to guess why Phîi Phai knew what he studied, what year he was in, and when the semester started. If he wasn't a senior in the faculty, it could only have come from this one diminutive friend. Including coming to lie in wait as hinted in the message, he used the excuse of having something to pass to Âi' Rain for Phîi Payu.
That piece of paper must be the most trivial thing, not the important matter he claimed it was.
And in that moment, Sky understood why the other party had said he was interesting... because they'd had sex, of course.
He was aware that he was quite experienced in bed matters, more than his outward appearance suggested. So, it wasn't him that this Phîi Phai was interested in, but his sexual prowess.
"And Rain, aren't you in a hurry to go see Âi' Payu? By now, he's probably already home."
The listener immediately understood why the speaker was so eager to send his friend away. Which was good, as Sky also didn't want to spread his past for his friend to hear.
"But I have to take Sky back to the dorm first."
However, Warain couldn't help but worry about his close friend. Even though the time for dismissing the freshmen wasn't terribly late, it wasn't easy to find a ride out of the university. Having him walk would make him feel guilty. It was just this much; anyway, he'd better drop his friend off at his room first. Also, deep down, he was starting to distrust his romantic partner's friend.
Sky looks like he wants to kill me this much! Why would I leave them alone together!
"It's fine, I can go back myself. You go on home."
"But..."
"Just go home. By now, your Phîi Payu must be waiting anxiously."
"Are you sure?"
"Don't worry. I'll take him back to the dorm myself."
Because...
Suddenly, the tall man interjected with an enthusiastic tone, his eyes sparkling, which made Warain feel even more distrustful on his friend's behalf. The more he looked at Sky's face, which had been still for several moments, the smaller guy was about to refuse, if not for...
The phone in his pocket screamed, forcing him to grab it and look at the screen.
"Yes, Phîi Payu."
A brief interruption during which Sky also heard the tall man's whisper.
"Doesn't Rain know about us?"
The listener looked up and met his gaze, looking into those honey-colored eyes, and found slyness.
Yes, Âi' Rain didn't know. And he had no intention of telling him that his desire to beat his Phîi Payu had caused Sky so much trouble that he ended up sleeping with the man in front of him. His close friend would feel guilty forever, and Sky didn't want him to feel disappointed in relationships between men like he had felt.... It was just sex.
Âi' Rain was happy with his pure love, and he didn't want to destroy that image. So, the moment Warain turned back, Sky didn't hesitate to say decisively,
"You can go back now. By now, your Phîi Payu must be terribly worried that you're not home yet so late. I can go back with... Phîi Phai." Sky said while glancing sideways at the tall man who smiled broadly, looking very pleased to be called by that name, then turned back to confirm with the smaller friend again.
"Don't worry about me. Isn't he a friend of Phîi Payu? If anything happens to me, you'll know exactly who to catch."
"I'm not going to do anything that would require catching me, not at all."
Like hell I believe that.
Sky tilted his head slightly and nodded once more.
"Don't worry about me."
"If you say so. Then I'll entrust Sky to you, Phîi Phai."
Even though Âi' Rain seemed hesitant, he finally nodded. Moreover...
"And you and I have things to talk about tomorrow."
With that, Âi' Rain promptly vanished from sight in a flash, leaving the close friend he was so worried about alone with the tall man, just the two of them.
This time, Sky turned back to meet his gaze again.
"What exactly do you want?"
The other party revealed a gentle smile that should have tickled the heart of the beholder. The pair of sharp eyes sparkled brightly as he leaned in towards the shorter person until their gazes connected, their noses only an inch apart, so close he could feel the warm breath sprinkling onto his pale cheek. Then the handsome man's soft voice followed.
"I told you, I came to court... Nong Sky."
Those sly eyes swept over his face, stopping at his lips, making Sky confirm his initial thought.
This is clearly the Damned Breeze!
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