Content Warning: This work is intended for mature (NC17) audiences. If you are younger, please kindly leave this site.
~~~
"I've heard some of you don't respect your seniors. I told you already—here! No matter how rich or talented you are, no matter where you come from! You came after us. You're the Nongs, and we're the Phîis. Yet some of you still can't understand plain talk!"
The entire cheering auditorium sat rigid and silent in the heavy, pressurized air the seniors created. Every pair of eyes stared straight ahead at the seniors in black uniforms, needing no equipment—just their yells boomed, piercing everyone's ears.
No need for further explanation; everyone knew this was about the freshmen who caused a ruckus at yesterday's contest.
Dear clenched his fists tight, itching to glance at his friend a row back but knowing even breathing was tough under the seniors' unified glare. While one senior spoke, nearby, Phîi Oat stood arms crossed, silent. From his stance, Dear could tell... it was damn scary.
"Who do you think you are?!"
"I'm asking, who are you?!" The freshmen flinched at the roar. Dear glimpsed a female friend in front trembling. Mumbled replies rose, too jumbled to make out.
"I ask this much, and you still don't get it? Do I gotta spell out what your friend did yesterday?!" This time, the yell cranked up louder, matched by the fearsome face of the Head Wák's partner.
Whoosh
Suddenly, Phîi Oat stepped forward. His fierce, bearded face swept the auditorium with a gaze that sent chills down spines. Those eyes paused on Dear for a second.
I'm begging you... Dear thought.
Dear didn't know what Phîi Oat would do. He only worried for his friend behind him. He moved his lips, hoping the senior might take pity. But he swore he saw Phîi Oat shake his head once before looking away.
"Second years!"
Gasp!
If the first senior's voice was loud, Phîi Oat's was louder, making the room jump. The second years' response rang out.
"Get on stage, all of you!" At Phîi Oat's next roar, the second years swarmed the stage, forming three neat rows before the stressed-out first years.
"I won't blame the freshmen for yesterday's mess! But I'll blame you for not teaching them right..."
Hiss
The second Phîi Oat finished, the freshmen buzzed with murmurs echoing through the room. Nobody expected this twist—instead of punishing them, he blamed the second-year seniors. That made the Head Wák whip his sharp gaze their way.
"Did I say you could talk?!"
The room fell dead quiet again, making Phîi Oat turn to the second years.
"How many in your year?"
"956, Khrap/Ka," came the unified reply.
"You got 956 folks, and you can't teach your Nongs to respect their Phîis?" Phîi Oat paused, then thundered, "Since you can't, I'm punishing you. 956 squat jumps! Do it!" With the punishment ordered, the second years glanced at each other, rattled, before clasping their necks and shouting back loud.
"1, 2, 3..."
"Not together! Start over!" Barely a few counts in, Oat bellowed, making the second years stand and restart.
Good Lord, the seniors didn't do a damn thing! Dear thought.
Dear screamed in his head, fists tight. He admitted he was damn mad at Phîi Oat, but he couldn't do anything. No, he didn't know what else he could do.
Whoosh
"Permission to speak, Khrap!"
Âi Shin! Dear thought.
Without turning, Dear knew his friend's voice cold. When the request boomed through the auditorium, all seniors turned to the troublemaker from yesterday.
"No permission. Sit down."
"No, Khrap. I, Chonnon, caused yesterday's trouble." The second Phîi Oat ordered him to sit, Âi Shin shot back, making the Head Wák signal the second years to stop and face the freshman who showed no fear or waver.
"You, huh?" Oat asked, knowing full well, prompting Shin to reply coolly.
"Yes, Khrap. I was rude to all the seniors. It's not about the second years failing to teach me. My nature's just like this."
Âi Shin! I'm begging you, be dramatic with me, not the Phîis! Dear thought.
Dear screamed in his head at the guy claiming his nature was just like that. He turned to look, seeing Shin stare down Phîi Oat without flinching, then continue.
"If you're fair, you'd punish me, not make innocents take the fall." It was like Âi Shin declared war on the seniors, making Dear fret more, scared what he might face. But even so, he got it—Shin said this to shift the heat onto himself alone.
"Bloody fucking hell, you going to take the punishment solo?!" Sun cursed beside him.
"Then what do you want me to do?" Oat asked.
"I'll do the squat jumps myself," Shin said from behind. Phîi Oat went quiet a moment, then gestured to the stage. "You see over a hundred second years up there? Simple math: a hundred people means 95,600 squat jumps. You alone, just 956..."
"Then I'll do all 95,600 myself."
Thud
Even Oat froze at the freshman's fearless words, not a flicker in his eyes. Then Shin started squat jumps, not waiting for permission. His counting echoed through the auditorium, making his friends clench fists tight.
Whoosh
"Permission to speak, Khrap!"
Almost at once, Dear and Sun raised hands, shouting, then locked eyes. Sun spoke first.
"I request to share Chonnon's punishment, Khrap."
"You're not involved," Phîi Oat said, voice heavy, but Dear jumped in after Sun.
"We are, Khrap! We're Chonnon's friends. We messed up not stopping him yesterday." His voice was firm, unafraid of punishment, making Oat eye the two freshmen silently, especially Dear, whose fierce look almost broke into a smile. But he kept it cool.
Because it wasn't just these two kids he had to handle.
"Permission granted, Khrap/Ka." Other freshmen started raising hands too.
"Permission to share the punishment, Khrap. I asked Chonnon to join the contest, Khrap."
"Permission granted, Ka. I nominated Chonnon for the contest, Ka. I'm at fault too, Ka."
"Permission, Ka/Khrap."
Amid the chorus of shouts and clamor to share the punishment, Oat stood still, hearing the freshmen yell as one.
"We're friends, so we're guilty together!"
With that, everyone started punishing themselves, following Dear and Sun, who'd begun first, while the Phîi wáks awaited the Head Wák's signal, who watched with a calm, steady gaze.
"Not together! Start over!" Oat suddenly shouted, silencing the scattered counts. Everyone turned to the Phîi wák stopped before them, who yelled, "Fifty squat jumps! Do it!" The slashed number made everyone glance at each other.
"Do it!" The senior's command had everyone clasp necks and start their punishment as Oat swept his gaze around, then led the wáks of all colors off the stage without looking back, leaving the freshmen to feel what the seniors wanted them to get.
The unity of their year. The oneness of a class of over a thousand.
A charm no one outside cheering would ever know...
***
"You're nuts, Âi Shin! You're bloody fucking nuts!"
After the cheering meeting ended, Âi Sun was first to grab his friend's collar and shake hard, making the half-blood just raise an eyebrow, cool as ever, despite his head wobbling.
"Where am I nuts?" Shin asked.
"Every damn way, you damned shit-lizard! Your craziness gets me going!"
Huh? Dear thought.
Dear, arms crossed and nodding at his friend's madness, froze. He turned to his close friend who'd just cursed Âi Shin for being nuts but now grinned wide. The hands crumpling the collar now fixed his friend's shirt, with a hard pat on the back.
"You dissing that Head Wák got me pumped. 'If you're fair enough'—how'd you come up with that? I'm impressed..."
Whap
"You're the nutcase! You're off track, man! You too, Âi Shin—you made my heart skip." Dear, fed up, swatted the new faculty Moon from yesterday, then turned to glare like he wanted to chomp the friend who said he'd do 95,600 squat jumps solo.
"Well, I didn't figure he'd go after the second years," Shin said.
"Hold up... you saying you were ready to take the hit for yesterday?" Sun asked.
Dear froze, locking eyes with his friend. By saying that, it was like Shin knew he'd catch hell today, just didn't expect it'd hit the second years, forcing him to play cool and say he'd do those ninety-five thousand-plus jumps.
"If you had brains, you'd know the Phîis wouldn't let me slide yesterday," Âi Shin said, all casual, hands in pockets, just like when he answered questions yesterday.
"Yeah, why'd you pull that stunt yesterday? I haven't even grilled you," Sun said, jumping on the chance. After Âi Shin bolted yesterday, he had to finish the contest. When he called later, that Âi-drama-queen had turned off his phone and vanished.
The question made the listener's face turn sly.
"Well, you wanted to be Moon, so I helped out." With that, Âi Shin raised an eyebrow, making his listeners pause, then burst into loud laughs.
"So I gotta thank you for handing me the win, huh, you half-angel, half-god?" Sun joked, not mad at his friend acting like he'd gifted him the title. Unlike Dear, who grabbed his temples.
"Sometimes I wonder how I put up with you guys," Dear said.
"Yeah, I wonder how a plain-faced guy like me hangs with a half-god like me and a full-on god like Âi Sun," Shin said.
Âi-damned-shit-lizard Shin! Dear thought.
The thought hit, and Dear raised his leg to chase and kick the half-blood who said a plain-faced guy like him got to hang with these heavenly hunks. Âi Sun laughed loud at his two friends chasing and kicking.
Smack
"If you want to get me, Dear, get longer legs first." Before he could land a kick, Âi Shin grabbed his neck, pulled his head into an armpit, and rubbed his head hard.
"Damned Shin, let my head go! I'm protective of it!"
"Protective of my body too, huh," Âi Shin said, all annoying, before letting go. Dear gasped, face red, and a second later, Shin smoothly slipped hands back in pockets, all Khun-chai, then switched topics fast.
"So, how am I getting back?" Shin asked.
"I'll have Âi Sun drop me at the condo on his bike. Not going with you," Dear said.
"Don't sulk at me. I was just asking; didn't say I'd drive you," Shin said.
You... you... damn it! I'm speechless! Dear thought.
Dear gritted his teeth, damn pissed at the two high-fiving. Whenever they could gang up on him, they were tight. Real fun, picking on a shorty like me, Dear thought.
"Âi Sun, let's go!" Dear said, swishing his butt off, not caring if they called him a brat. Hell, since moving in with Phîi Porsche, he'd gotten brattier daily. But swishing his butt wouldn't spike his brattiness much more.
"My Mia's pissed," Sun said.
"Haha, gotta go sweet-talk her then, or my Nong will chew me out." Sun ran after his close friend, laughing, leaving Shin to head for his car in another building.
Whoosh
Shin paused long but didn't get far when someone about to mount a sleek mini-bike made him fail to dodge in time.
Here we go, Shin thought. The Head Wák he'd just pissed off turned to look, forcing him to wai. He started toward his car, but the other stood tall again.
"Chonnon," Oat said.
"Yes, Phîi?" Shin replied, bracing for a yell from the guy who spooked all the freshmen. But Oat just spoke calm, yet it stopped him cold.
"If the nature you mean is taking the blame solo, you shouldn't have pulled that stunt yesterday to begin with." Shin admitted he was stunned by this guy, first time talking today, nailing it. Yeah, he didn't mean for others to catch flak. Same with yesterday—he planned to stand quiet, let it pass, but some stuff still ate at him till he had to vent.
And his venting? Cussing out the seniors mid-stage and walking off. It felt like dumping the heavy crap in his heart by doing something nuts. But another reason, like he said, was Âi Sun wanted Moon, so he helped him get it.
Call me crazy, but I knew the second I walked off, who'd clean up the mess... Shin thought.
Shin stayed mum, not arguing, or really, not knowing what to say. Then a question he couldn't believe came from the guy who'd made freshmen girls cry rang out, calm.
"How am I getting back? Need a ride?" Shin admitted he was damn shocked but answered.
"I brought my car."
"Then get home safe. Hope next time you think before you talk... don't screw over your yearmates." With that, Phîi Oat swung onto the mini-bike. At first, Shin thought he'd peel out, but those sharp eyes stayed on him, like waiting for something, making Shin turn and climb into his car.
The luxury car pulled out of the lot. In the rearview, Shin saw the senior Dear called Oat don a helmet, then speed off the other way, like making sure the freshman got off safe first.
"What kind of Phîi wák is this? Bizarre guy," Shin said.
***
"Dear, don't forget to water the backyard plants. I wasn't here, so nobody did. Look, the Indian cork tree flowers all dropped."
What the hell's that got to do with anything?! Dear thought.
Dear wanted to cuss loud at the person who opened the second-floor window and yelled down orders, blaming him for the Indian cork trees' fallen, once-fragrant blooms because he was gone.
And you were here—why didn't you handle it?! Dear thought.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll fertilize them later," Dear shouted back to his sister, still in pajamas at nearly ten. Satisfied, Jae Dream swished her butt back to bed, leaving Dear to tend the small, mostly flowery garden. Who planted them? His darling Mâe. Who loved their beauty? Jae Dream. Who cared for them?
Me! Dear thought.
"No souvenirs from China, and the second I get home, you work me like a slave." Dear muttered to himself, not daring to gripe to Jae. His hands did the chores he'd skipped last week, not coming home.
"Need help?" Purin asked.
Gasp!
Dear jumped when a voice called over the fence. That voice, even blind, he'd know—Phîi Porsche.
Did I mention the fence at Phîi Porsche's place is real tall, spiked like rich folks scared of armed robbers? Only my house's side is low enough for a tall guy to peek over on tiptoe, 'cause my Phôo and Phîi Porsche's Phôo are tight. So this fence gets special treatment, Dear thought.
The guy poking his head over the fence was that house's eldest son.
"Aren't you sleeping in? It's a holiday," Dear said.
"When we're together, have I ever slept late?" Purin asked.
Purin spoke easy, but why'd Dear's cheeks flare hot? It sounded like someone who knew his waking habits cold.
"Hang on, I'll come over." Before Dear could nod or nix it, Purin's voice vanished, likely fetching shoes. In under five minutes, the tall neighbor brother swung open the gate without asking the homeowner.
"No work this Saturday, Phîi?" Dear looked up at the guy before him, hands shutting off the hose. Purin flashed a smile.
"Got some... but I skipped."
"Hmph."
"Got lazy, wanted to come home, so I bailed. No big deal. They won't fire the boss's son, right?" Good Lord, Dear didn't know if Phîi Porsche was serious or joking, keeping a dead face while snatching the hose.
"You're kidding, right, Phîi Porsche?" Dear asked, getting no answer as Phîi Porsche switched topics, straight-faced.
"Haven't watered the backyard yet, right?"
"Mhmm." With that, the tall figure dragged the hose to the backyard, Dear trailing like a puppy, not knowing Purin was... smiling.
Though Purin told the Nong-next-door he skipped work, truth was he'd hustled to finish so he could take today off. Since yesterday, when Dream called to pick up her brother, he'd surprised himself, telling her quick, "Don't bother. I'm heading home this weekend. I'll drop Dear off."
He'd planned to chill with a movie today, but his close friend's muttering across the house made him peek over the fence. Seeing the little puppy with red lips griping to himself, he had to speak up. Next thing, he was hurrying over.
And it felt good having the little one tag along like this.
"Phîi Porsche, I can handle it in a bit," Dear said.
"Isn't help better?" Purin said simply, turning the hose back on to water the plants.
"You'll get wet, Phîi," Dear said, worried, but Purin raised one eyebrow and...
Ssss
"I'm this wet already. No issue now, right?"
Stunned, stunned, stunned. Dear thought.
Dear gaped at the guy who turned the hose on himself, soaking his shirt, then said no problem. Purin went back to watering, deadpan.
"So you're hell-bent on stealing my job, huh?!" Dear said.
"Mhmm."
"Fine, do it then! I'm going to fertilize the Indian cork trees." If he wanted it, fine—Dear wouldn't argue and waste work time.
Dear spun toward the garage, where only his sister's big van sat, to grab fertilizer bags, leaving Purin to water quietly. When sure it was done, the young man shut off the water and walked to the guy still squatting in the garage.
"I'm done... Oof!" Purin said.
Phîi Porsche, what the hell?! Dear thought.
Dear's eyes popped when, looking up to ask if he was done, Phîi Porsche leaned in and planted a hard kiss on his lips, then pulled back.
"Price for watering," Purin said.
Good Lord, you'll do anything for a kiss?! Dear thought.
Dear cursed in his head, scowling, though his cheeks burned hot as hell. He glared up, trying to look bloodthirsty, making Purin chuckle soft since the Nong's face was damn cute now.
"What's with you and my mouth, Phîi Porsche? Kissing it so good," Dear grumbled low, though his heart... was all in for the kiss. Toying with his hopes daily, he was seriously thinking, next time Phîi slipped, he'd nab him as his Phûa.
"It's nice and soft," Purin said. The guy set to make him his Phûa went mute, Purin's words rushing blood to his face. Those twinkling eyes staring at him didn't help.
No, Phîi! No way! Jae Dream's in the house! And your Mâe's on the other side of the fence! Dear thought.
Dear screamed in his head as the handsome face leaned closer... closer... But he only screamed inside, 'cause as Phîi Porsche got near, his eyes... shut on their own.
Smack
"Grass in my hair, and I didn't even know. Making that face, did I think you were going to kiss me or what?" Purin said.
Dear's eyes snapped open, staring at the guy still close, holding grass he'd plucked from his hair, bloody fucking hell! Phîi Porsche had the gall to say it with a half-laugh, teasing what face he made.
"N-no! No way, Phîi! Who thought that?!" Dear said.
"Yeah, my puppy had a smitten face," Purin said.
Argh! I didn't make that face! Dear thought.
Whoosh
"Phîi Porsche, you damned troublemaker!" Dear hurled the fertilizer at his face, mad and embarrassed. He didn't know what smitten face he'd made. Thinking he'd get kissed, his eyes closed, acting like a dog letting its master lick its mouth, and the master teased him more. Later, I'll bite till my fangs sink in, Dear thought.
Smack
"Haha, hey, stop... it'll get in my mouth... Not stopping, huh?" Purin said.
"Argh! Phîi, let me go! Don't let me loose!" Dear yelled through the garage as Purin twisted to lock his hands tight, stretching them so he couldn't fight back, just wriggle. Truth be told, he was no match for someone seventeen centimeters taller.
"Let go, and my puppy'll bite me," Purin said.
"I'll sink my fangs in!" Dear said.
"Haha, then I sure can't let go." The kiss talk turned to bickering and laughs echoing through the garage. Phîi Porsche laughed, but the freedom fight was all Dear's. Neither noticed someone parking a motorcycle at the gate.
Sun killed his bike's engine, hearing his friend's faint voice, like arguing, drifting out. His thick brows furrowed before he saw the gate ajar. Used to this house, he pushed it open.
Without checking the scene, he blurted, per habit.
"Nong Dear, I brought homework for my Phûa to copy, please!"
Thud
Not just the speaker froze, seeing his friend in a tall guy's arms, but Purin, teasingly holding the Nong-next-door's arms, froze too, whipping his gaze to the young man by the gate. Sun's eyes were cold, unreadable.
Why's my hair standing on end? Sun thought.
Comments
Post a Comment