MB Chapter 4: He Wants To Be My Romantic Partner

Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
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Calm down, Âi'Sǐndhu, calm down.

This is something Nai Sǐndhu has told himself many, many times, ever since he stepped into the room of a junior whose name he only learned today, a junior with whom he carelessly had sex. He truly does not understand why he cannot control his own gaze; it just keeps staring at that white neck until he becomes seriously worried.

Sǐndhu himself is not a man without prior sexual experience. He has had romantic partners, even if only two. But the young man has never felt like this before.

He wants to squeeze it.

What the shit-lizard!

The tall frame curses because the thought flashes into his head abruptly.

At first, he only saw that Nông Plêrng was an attractive person, and believe him, anyone would probably see it the same way; he is just so small, with such a little face and big eyes like that. But the moment he steps into the room, he feels peculiarly alert. The more the junior disappears into the bedroom, the more Sǐndhu has to use immense effort to force himself to sit still on the sofa, his two hands firmly gripping his knees.

Is it shaking looking for its Phô or what!

His subconscious is whispering... go after him, go after him.

But in reality, he cannot, so he can only sit still, gathering his composure on the sofa, even though his heart keeps thinking about that soft, sleek, reddish-brown hair with little curls that looks so soft he wants to gently run his hands through it... or grab it and make him tilt his head back with a tingling sensation.

No! Âi'Sǐndhu, what the shit-lizard are you thinking!

The bizarre thought flashes in again, until Sǐndhu tries to stare out the window. But heaven is not on his side, because the room's owner steps out in a condition... not very tidy.

No, it makes a certain feeling erupt in his pants.

Suddenly, Sǐndhu gets goosebumps all over, sweat breaks out, his heart beats heavily, until he quickly turns away. But Nông Plêrng shows him no mercy, coming to stand right in front of him, taking off his shirt to prove that the marks from that day have completely faded. However, it is his own heart that is now saying... then make more, right there, that white waist that would probably be delicious to bite.

The feeling erupts so violently that he must use enormous energy to suppress it, and then he snatches the shirt to cover the junior's chest, even though his hands are shaking noticeably.

The young man has known for a long time that he tends to have rather wild imaginations about that kind of thing. But before, he tried to comfort himself that all men are like that, only to have proven that it is not true; none of his romantic partners could accept what he wanted to do, and they even said to his face... Sǐndhu is not the kind of man we thought.

Sǐndhu does not know what kind of person the other party wants him to be. But for sure, he must keep this part of his thoughts buried the deepest, especially with the incredibly attractive junior who does not hold the previous incident against him.

It is like a court ruling. If the defendant commits a first offense out of negligence, the penalty is often reduced by half. But if there is a next time... rest assured that Âi'Sǐndhu will never get to sit in the junior's room like this again.

Since Nông Plêrng is being sincere with him, he should keep his lowly thoughts locked away in a drawer, even though... just swallowing is difficult.

Therefore, the young man moves himself to the far end of the room, staring intently only at the window, even though a faint fragrance is wafting into his nostrils, the soft skin is still imprinted on his eyes, not to mention the face that likes to look up at him with layered eyes.

This is bad. Really shit-lizard bad.

It gets even worse because Nông Plêrng... cries.

He is both startled and flustered, quickly saying that he truly does not feel disgusted at all. It is Nông Plêrng who would be disgusted if he knew what he is thinking. But above all else, the memory of that intoxicated, unconscious time comes back to haunt him again.

Tears trickle from those moist, glossy eyes, his body trembling no differently from a kitten.

The sound of nearly heartbroken moans beneath his body, the sound of bodies rubbing together in a disgustingly lewd rhythm... everything flashes into his head, until he almost raises his hand to hit his own arm, which almost pushed the other person down onto the sofa.

Sǐndhu might be somewhat rough in bed, but he has never 'wanted' anyone like this before.

The young man senses the immense allure radiating from the figure in front of him: the flushed red face, the wet cheeks, the large, round eyes that just narrowing them seems so squeezable until his body expresses itself with a painful ache radiating in his pants. If his good side is still winning, his brain thinks of a solution frantically, and then he realizes one truth.

He can take responsibility for Nông Plêrng this way.

On the day the incident happened, Sǐndhu only had words of guilt, guilt, and a full desire to take responsibility. But what he did was so terrible he could barely breathe. He could only sit waiting for the day the police would arrest him on rape charges, and if there was a warrant, he was ready to turn himself in. But instead, the other party is both attractive and kind-hearted, does not reproach him at all, forgives him, and even says with a nervous manner that it is fine, because the junior does not like women anyway.

How can it be fine? Whether it is a woman or a man who experiences something like this, someone must take responsibility.

His intelligent brain (in academic matters) thus comes up with a way for him to take responsibility for the thing that happened.

If a woman gets pregnant, the man becomes the Phô.

Then if a man is assaulted, he will take responsibility by being his romantic partner, taking care of and being attentive to him, that should not be a problem, right?

Therefore, Sǐndhu lets out a breath, tries to think about this instead of the matter below his belt, and says in a pleased tone, thinking the other party will probably give him a shy smile. But no...

“What crazy thing are you saying, Phîi Sin?”

The person who pushes his chest away jumps up to stand straight, glaring sharply in this direction with a swift frown.

“I am asking Nông Plêrng to be my romantic partner.”

“Are you crazy!”

The attractive youth raises his voice immediately, stunning the listener.

“Uh, well, it's true, I must really be crazy.” Sǐndhu is dismayed.

He has been crazy since he started thinking that kind of thing about a junior he just met. And it is also true that asking to be romantic partners right after meeting seems a bit excessive. But being a broad-chested man, responsibility must come first.

“N-no, it's not that Plêrng thinks Phîi Sǐndhu is really crazy, but doesn't Phîi Sǐndhu think there are other, better ways?” Nông Plêrng himself also seems stunned that he raised his voice, his attractive face turning awkward, his eyes clearly showing guilt, as he sits back down in the same spot.

“I have thought about it.”

A smile returns to adorn his good-looking face again.

“Right, like...”

“If Nông Plêrng thinks it is too fast, then can I start by being siblings? Asking to be your romantic partner might seem too much, but I really want to take responsibility for what happened. If Nông Plêrng is not disgusted, I would like to take care of you, to be attentive to you, and if Nông Plêrng thinks I am good enough, please accept me as your romantic partner, Khrap."

This might be the first time someone accepts what he is, and the first time he can truly take responsibility for what he did.

While his former partners looked at him with fearful eyes and ran away, Nông Plêrng is the one who comes to find him to show that he does not mind, making him feel good about his decision this time.

He does not like him right now, but Sǐndhu thinks he probably will not find it hard to like this youth.

“What do you say?”

The junior remains sitting still, stunned, and Sǐndhu uses that moment to help pull the student shirt to cover him more modestly, to protect its owner from his own depraved thoughts. Nông Plêrng himself probably does not realize it, because he is staring at him with wide eyes.

Then...

Whoosh

Plêrng raises both hands to cover his face, then lets out a soft sob.

“Can Phîi Sǐndhu please leave for now?... Plêrng is not prepared.”

“Uh... sure.”

The listener is flustered because Nông Plêrng looks clearly startled. But he does not dare touch him, he can only stand up, thinking the other party needs more time to think it over. He can only grab his student shirt to hold, looks hesitantly for a moment, and then mumbles in a heartfelt tone.

“Thank you for forgiving me for what I did.”

Sǐndhu says this as his final words, before walking out of the room and locking the door securely, afraid the other party might encounter a drunkard like him coming to assault him there again. Which...

"Hmph!”

The young man turns to look back at the door panel, because he thinks he hears... hears a faint scream.

Probably not, maybe he just turned on the TV.

Then the relieved man, who is not facing a rape charge, walks to the elevator and goes back to his own room feeling much more at ease, unlike... the other person who is screaming with utter loss of patience.

Having a romantic partner equals being tied down.

Having a romantic partner equals having a noose around one's neck.

Having a romantic partner equals the end of freedom.

“What part of his brain did he use to think! He said he was smart enough to pass the medical school entrance exam, right!”

Práo Plêrng has been cursing the smart person since last night until the new day arrives. The young man still complains incessantly, raising his hand to bite his nails to relieve stress. He never thought he would have to encounter this type of person in his life.

He thinks smart people often talk nonsense. Yeah, I (Kuu) understand perfectly now.

If yesterday Phîi Sǐndhu had offered to be a fuckbuddy, Âi'Plêrng would have snatched the offer up almost immediately. But what is this? Suddenly skipping steps to become romantic partners, which Plêrng can definitively say he has never thought about, and definitely will not think about for another ten years. Why would he want to find a noose to put around his neck? Having freedom like this is much more comfortable.

He can go out to have fun with anyone, enjoy himself with whoever, and no one says anything.

Therefore, a romantic partner equals... disaster.

I would not take one even if paid!

Finally, the level of frustration from yesterday ends at level ten.

Not only does he not scratch the itch, he throws lice on my head too. Now I am itching all over!

***

“Heh heh, Hah hah, come on, you (meung), come eat something to relieve stress first.”

“No need, Âi'Phént! You (meung) have been laughing at me (Kuu) since you (meung) arrived!”

Plêrng snarls at his close friend, who is placing a portable gas stove on the dining table, setting up a pot of broth, and then successively bringing out the pork, chicken, beef, seafood, and various fresh vegetables that were prepared and stored in the refrigerator. All that is left is to put them in the pot and dip them in the delicious sukiyaki sauce before they are ready to eat.

“You (meung) have been complaining since you (meung) saw my face.”

Phént does want to feel sorry for his friend, but he finds it funnier, because the moment he sees his face, he starts venting immediately. Furthermore, the story that happened makes him hold back his laughter until his mouth hurts. It is just as well that Andrea did not come along because she was busy with another group of friends, otherwise she would be laughing her head off, clutching her stomach and writhing in the middle of the room by now.

The story of Âi'Plêrng finishing off Phîi Sǐndhu is funny enough, but Âi'Plêrng being asked by that Phîi Sǐndhu to be his romantic partner is even funnier.

And the reason for dating... is to take responsibility.

Now Phént is not even sure whether it is true that he was assaulted, and not that Âi'Plêrng was the one who actually assaulted him.

“Just think about it, is he crazy? After just sleeping together one night, he comes asking to date. If he knew he accidentally came inside, his knees would probably jerk and he'd ask me (Kuu) to marry him. He is so serious he seems like a crazy person.” Plêrng does not hate Phîi Sǐndhu or anything, but does he not think it is a bit too much? From planning to have a fun night, he ends up with a trap laid right in front of him.

Just thinking about having a romantic partner makes his hair stand on end.

“Oh, he came inside?”

“Yeah, that is why I (Kuu) said I (Kuu) was assaulted. You (meung) know that no matter how much I (Kuu) like to play, I (Kuu) always use protection... I (Kuu) was planning to get checked this week just in case.”

“I see, like a premarital health checkup. Ding dang~”

“You (meung) shit-lizard Phént.”

If he did not see that Práo Plêrng was stirring the broth that was about to boil in the pot, he would have thrown a pillow at his face. How can he be? His friend is worried to death and he still has the nerve to mock him. And what is this ding dang~? The wedding bells from his aunt's house or something?

“Okay, okay, I (Kuu) will stop teasing. Seriously, I (Kuu) quite like Phîi Sǐndhu.”

“I (Kuu) give him to you (meung), want him?”

“Are you sure?” Phént smiles smugly, until the person offering to give him away muffles a soft sound.

“I (Kuu) will give everything except that thing.”

“You (meung) are always degraded.” The listener makes a face and shakes his head.

“The reason I (Kuu) struggled to wait in front of the faculty, getting tanned from the sun, is precisely because of that thing.”

Plêrng is in a slightly better mood now, so he uses both hands to gesture measuring a size, making a face and expression that it is oh-so-impressively huge. This makes his close friend... blush.

Of course, Âi'Phént is not as adept at this kind of thing as he is.

“Enough, enough, do not drag me (Kuu) down to your (meung) level... I (Kuu) am serious. Even though I (Kuu) have never met Phîi Sǐndhu, from what I (Kuu) have heard, I (Kuu) like his personality. He is good-looking, responsible, studies well too. Probably only you (meung) do not like a person like him.” Plêrng sighs, shifts to lean on the arm of the sofa, and then pouts.

“Well, he is your (meung) type, not my (Kuu) type.”

“Then just reject him outright like you always do.”

The listener pulls a pillow to hug tightly, pouting even more heavily. His eyes also reveal a conflicted, frustrated look, because...

“It does not work. I (Kuu) cannot.”

“Why?” Phént stops his hands that are putting water spinach and Chinese cabbage into the pot, looking at his close friend curiously. For a moment, he secretly feels happy that he is thinking of being serious with someone for once. But as soon as he sees his face...

“I (Kuu) have not tried the big thing another time yet.”

The listener throws the Chinese cabbage towards his friend.

“Hey, you are playing with food.”

“Just listen to what you (meung) are saying. If your (meung) parents heard, they would not find it funny.”

“Nah, my (Kuu) parents are used to it.” Plêrng smiles brightly, grabs the vegetable thrown near him, and waves it around, until his close friend shakes his head exasperatedly and goes back to paying attention to dinner. Meanwhile, the person on the sofa lies down flat, eyes on the ceiling, and continues speaking in a slightly more serious tone.

“I (Kuu) will not be Phîi Sǐndhu's romantic partner, but no matter what, I (Kuu) will have him.”

“If you (meung) dislike him that much, why not just let him go?”

“I (Kuu) want to prove something.” Plêrng spins the cabbage in his hand absently.

“Prove what?”

“About that day... was I (Kuu) too drunk, or is he the real thing.”

He might have told Âi'Phént almost everything, but he does not tell it about the time he lost his mood with other people. It feels like losing face somehow, that someone like him, who holds the principle that being single is a blessing, ends up fascinated by a man who is as different as night and day, to the point of investing in seducing him this much.

Plêrng wants to know if the other party is the real thing, but if it means dating seriously... no way.

“Let me (Kuu) ask you (meung) seriously, if the person who came asking to date was Phîi'Drew, would you (meung) date him?” Phént asks, curious, because his friend seems so enamored with the mixed-race young man.

“Hey! Are you serious?”

As Plêrng falls silent, his close friend's eyes widen, and he rushes over to lean on the arm of the sofa, until Plêrng smiles sweetly and says with full confidence...

“I (Kuu) am joking.”

“You (meung) crazy!”

The small person laughs loudly, waving the vegetable in front of his friend's face.

“Hehehe, what kind of person do you (meung) think I (Kuu) am? No way. Even if it was the extremely handsome Phîi'Drew, with a body that could slam against the liver, damn it, I (Kuu) would not be interested. I (Kuu) just want to have him, not date him. You (meung) are imagining that your friend is thinking about love. No, I (Kuu) do not want it. Living like this is so comfortable.” Plêrng sits up, smiling brightly, teasing the other party who has secretly been in love with someone for years. This makes Phént grab a pillow and hit him on the head.

“I (Kuu) am not playing with you (meung) anymore! Get up and eat! You (meung) said you (meung) wanted to eat sukiyaki, so I (Kuu) made it for you (meung) to eat. Get up!”

As the head chef orders, Plêrng gets up lazily, and then must freeze.

“It is not that you (meung) do not think about love at all. It is just that you (meung) have not met the right person yet.”

The listener looks at his friend's face and finds the other party smiling sadly, until he has to sigh.

This is why he does not want love. No matter how many couples, there is only heartache. Being alone is much more comfortable.

But Plêrng does not know that... love is already knocking on his heart's door. Oh, and not with a knock knock knock sound either.

Sǐndhu is a person who makes decisive decisions. Therefore, once he said he would take responsibility by dating... he takes action immediately.

Yes, he takes action immediately.

“What are you (meung) reading, Âi'Sin?”

The young man looks up from his phone screen, turning to look at his close friend who came to sit beside him.

“Well... it is nothing.” The owner raises his hand to cover the screen, but...

Snatch!

“Let me (Kuu) see what you (meung) are reading besides the legal code.” Mix [Mik] is quicker because he snatches the phone immediately. Then he stretches his arm out, squints to read the text on it, and then his eyes widen in shock, turning sharply to look at his friend's face in disbelief.

“You (meung) are hitting on some guy!”

Because what Sǐndhu is reading is... 'How to hit on a guy without being a bird'.

When he scrolls down the screen a bit more...

“Oho, 'Making the first move is not wrong, guaranteed no heartbreak'.” Mix [Mik] is gaping now, while the bespectacled young man grabs his mobile phone back, sighing in exasperation that the other guy is meddling in his business, even though he knows he means well. Especially after hearing about him assaulting someone before, his close friend has been staying around him lately to keep him from overthinking. But that does not mean he wants to show his lack of experience to him.

Sǐndhu may have had romantic partners before, but he did not make the first move. It is not exactly that the other party pursued him either; they just worked on school activities together, got close, talked a lot, and then mutually agreed to date. The other one was a junior who confessed his love first. Therefore, the young man has no experience in approaching anyone in a romantic or flirtatious manner before.

Once he made his decision, he went to look for information, even though he cannot help but think that this kind of information is indescribably useless.

“I (Kuu) thought you (meung) liked women all along.”

“Why? Is it wrong that I (Kuu) am interested in a man?” Sǐndhu frowns sharply, glaring at his friend, while the other shrugs.

“It is not wrong, but you (meung) seem like... hmm, a person who is inside a box. Like, if society dictates that men must pair with women, you (meung) would believe that for your whole life. So I (Kuu) am surprised how you (meung) started being interested in another man.” It is true, as his friend says, Sǐndhu is that kind of man, even that night.

At first, he did not think that Nông Plêrng liked men. Therefore, what the junior told him completely demolishes the belief he has held all his life.

It is not that men must pair with women; men can pair with men too, there is nothing wrong with that.

“Do you (meung) remember what I (Kuu) told you about assaulting him?”

He is a bit stunned. As his close friend keeps staring, Sǐndhu finally relents and tells him. And that makes the listener...

“Really? So you assaulted..."

“The person I (Kuu) assaulted is a man. And I (Kuu) went to see the junior, and he forgave me. But I (Kuu) feel guilty. I (Kuu) want to take responsibility.” The listener nods emphatically, snaps his fingers, and then speaks to finish the sentence.

“So you (meung) will take responsibility by becoming the junior's romantic partner... do not be like this, Âi'Sǐndhu. If he is not angry, then it is over. You (meung) do not need to go that far. Consider it a one-time thing, a one-night stand. Have you heard of that?”

“But I (Kuu) want to do it.”

“But I (Kuu) told you...”

“I (Kuu) want to do it... for real, friend.”

Mix [Mik] falls completely silent, before understanding dawns on him, because his lips are curving up into a wide smile.

“Do not tell me you (meung) have taken a liking to that youth.”

Sǐndhu is silent, but it is enough to make the other party laugh amusedly.

“Okay, okay. If you (meung) had said that from the beginning, it would have been settled, right? And you (meung) do not need to read any how-to guides. Just ask me (Kuu). You (meung) must not think you are hitting on a man, Âi'Sǐndhu, but think that you are hitting on a person. Whether it is a woman or a man, it is the same. Talk to each other, go out to eat meals together, give gifts. It is no different. If you (meung) do not think about gender, then you do not need to think about distinctions for things like this either.” The bespectacled young man listens attentively, then falls silent, thinking it over.

“What you (meung) say is true.”

“Yeah, just go with sincerity.”

The young man thinks of that junior and smiles a little wider.

That is right. The first priority is not to sit and read ways to hit on men, but he should think about what topic to talk about first.

So, it is like this then... just talk.

But Sǐndhu still cannot conclude with himself what topic he should start a conversation about, when the person he was just thinking of appears in front of the faculty building again. He quickly takes long strides to approach him, feeling uncomfortable that Nông Plêrng has to stand here in the sun. His deep voice thus speaks out with concern.

“What is Nông Plêrng doing standing here? Who are you looking for? Why not wait under the building?”

“Plêrng came to find you, Phîi. And Plêrng was afraid Phîi Sǐndhu would not see him. But never mind that for now.”

Sǐndhu makes a disapproving face.

“How can I never mind that?” The large man says while pulling a handkerchief out of his pants pocket, his sharp eyes staring at the large beads of sweat soaking around his forehead with concern, and then quickly reaches out to wipe it for him gently.

He wipes gently and meticulously, only becoming self-aware again when that pair of large, round eyes is staring at him.

“Uh..."

“So his hands can reach, can they."

“What was that?” The young man only hears a mumble, so he has to ask again, but the other shakes his head until the reddish-brown hair sways back and forth.

“It is nothing. Can I get to the point?” Plêrng asks.

“Oh, sure. But next time, if Nông Plêrng needs anything, you can call me to come find you at the faculty. Oh right, Nông Plêrng does not have my number. Wait a moment...” The speaker says as he remembers, and then reaches to take his phone out of his pocket. But...

Grab!

The small person reaches out to grab his wrist first, looks up at his face with a serious expression.

“Phîi Sǐndhu, listen to me carefully.” Plêrng says.

“Yes?”

“Phîi Sǐndhu asked me what I wanted, right?” Plêrng continues.

“Yes. Whatever Nông Plêrng wants, you can tell me.” The person who is determined to take responsibility smiles wider, because he thinks he might be able to atone for the sin he committed, and it is something the other party wants. Therefore, he is ready to fulfill anything. This makes the person in front of him... smile with satisfaction.

“It is not difficult, Phîi Sǐndhu. You just...

“Just?”

The large, round eyes sparkle with expectation, and then he declares with full conviction… “You have to sleep with me!”

The demand that leaves Sǐndhu himself utterly stunned.