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~~~
In the few moments after Sun pushed the gate open and the person holding Âi Dear looked up to meet his eyes, he felt so uneasy he could hardly breathe. Though he should've rushed to help his friend, locked in someone's grip, Sun admitted to himself, It's bloody fucking scary.
Did Âi Dear let a thief into the house? But thieves these days are handsomer than me?
"Khr..."
"Huh?" But then, Sun only turned to his friend, seeing him clench his fists tight, mumbling something, before Âi Dear yelled loud.
"Who's your Mia, you damned goose Sun?! I've told you a million times, don't call me your Mia!" The unease vanished instantly when Dear shouted in anger, both cheeks red as hell, looking like he wanted to tear into his unlucky friend who spoke without reading the room. He stopped struggling and turned to curse his friend full force, making Purin look down at the young man in his arms.
"Friend, huh?" The voice asking was calm, steady, and damn unsettling.
"Yeah, stuck with him, Phîi Porsche. Nobody else would have him, so I took pity and befriended him."
"Your mouth, man! What's that about? Just calling you Mia a bit, and you flip out every time. When Janjao and Bulan say it, you don't curse them." This time, the chills faded, replaced by irritation at his short friend, all talk and bold as hell today. And Sun wasn't sure if he imagined it, but it felt like Dear had... backup.
If the backup's the guy holding him, no wonder he's cocky. Hell, I'm kind of scared myself.
Meanwhile, Dear just shrugged, trying to hide a weird, jumpy feeling. Why is it that when Sun calls me Mia, it usually doesn't bug me 'cause I'm used to it? But today, I'm worried about someone.
No clue what Phîi Porsche thinks, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea. Better clear things up first.
Purin's manner, just glancing down at the young man in his arms, his sharp eyes narrowing to catch something. Once certain, he let go of the hands he'd gripped tight. The handsome face turned to the other young man, lips curving into a friendly smile, easing his stance to normal.
Hearing 'Mia' just now got me bloody fucking annoyed for some reason.
The thought was quickly brushed off by the young man. Just then, Dear turned to his friend.
"What do you want, coming here?"
"Talking like I don't crash at your place all the time... I came to borrow your lab homework. Wanna copy it." When his friend got to the point, Sun spilled his errand with no filter, saying he came just for one assignment. That made his close friend walk over and sigh.
"Can't you do it yourself? You'll bomb the midterm." He said it out of pure concern, but his friend shot back.
"I know you're a softie and'll tutor me anyway." That Âi Sun grinned wide, flashing every tooth, so sure of himself that Dear wanted to sigh in his face. But he knew, like Sun knew, he helped every time he asked.
"Just one class?"
"Nah, gimme your English too."
Whap!
"You nuts or what? The teacher wants an essay about yourself. Your name Dranphat now?" The cheerful guy's reply made Dear unable to resist smacking him, which got Âi Sun muttering that his Phûa would lose his looks and Dear would regret it, then turned to him with a laid-back vibe.
"Chill, I'm good. I'll just control-H your name to mine. It isn't too hard for Nai Athit here." Real oddly surprising. Besides his sharp tongue, what's he got to be Faculty Moon? Just a pain in the ass.
"Haha, kidding. Just the lab. I calculated, got stuck on something small, so I want to use yours as a guide." After all that, he just wanted to copy his.
In the end, Dear could only sigh hard again, staring at him quietly, wanting to stand firm and tell him to get lost. But his heart gave in, as always.
"Fine, I'll grab it for you."
Thwack
"What's your deal, Âi Sun!" But before Dear could turn to get his work—he was sure it was in the bag he brought home—his close friend locked him in a headlock first, then leaned down to whisper low.
"You haven't spilled. Who's that guy?" That Âi Sun nodded toward Phîi Porsche, still standing there, not moving. Was Sun imagining it, or was Phîi Porsche eyeing him like he suspected something? But for now, ditching Sun was top priority.
"Neighbor... Phîi Porsche."
"Name sounds familiar, like I heard it somewhere."
Hell, did I let slip about Phûas and Mias before?
Dear could only jump, trying hard not to meet his friend's eyes. Lucky that day Âi Sun was all about being Faculty Moon, so he hasn't pieced it together. But if Âi Shin was here, that nosy bastard would've figured out who I meant that day.
"You're imagining it. Uh... I'll go grab the homework." With that, Dear slipped out from under his friend's arm fast, then turned to flash a weak smile at the other older guy.
"I'll be right back, Phîi. Just grabbing something for my friend." With that, he bolted, running upstairs to dodge both Phîi Porsche's piercing stare and Sun's look like he'd cracked something.
The homeowner went upstairs, but both guests stayed put. Sun turned to the other guy and raised his hands in a wai.
"Hey, Phîi Porsche. I'm Sun, Âi Dear's friend." The greeting got a smile from Purin, who paused a bit when the young man asked without hiding his curiosity one bit.
"Don't think I'm dim, but your name rings a bell. Have I met you before?" A question that, if Dear were there, he'd have split them up fast. Sure, Sun was a bit nuts, but he wasn't a dim-wit. What if he linked old stuff to now?
Âi Dear's bloody fucking screwed.
***
Dear rushed down as fast as he could, scared Sun might catch onto something. But the second he hit the ground floor, he froze, seeing Sun sitting with Phîi Porsche at the stone table, yakking loud and happy like they'd been pals for ages. I know he's friendly, but this damn easy?
"Yo, Dear, why didn't you tell me Phîi Porsche is Lex's Phîi?"
Thud
Hell, they've talked and figured out they're tight already?
"You never asked," he could only say to cover himself, placing the neatly stapled report in front of his friend. Meanwhile, Sun turned to keep chatting with Phîi Porsche.
"I'm pals with Lex too, Phîi Porsche. But in junior high, we were in different classes. Played some football together sometimes. Then I landed in Dear's class in high school, so you might not have seen me." Sun spilled it all, while Phîi Porsche laughed and nodded.
"I was off getting my Master's in the States then."
"And then..."
"You got your stuff; now beat it." Seeing things heading south, that something might slip, Dear cut in to shoo him, not caring how his friend felt, 'cause right now he felt hot and cold under Sun's gaze, chatting up Phîi Porsche but eyeing him weird.
And as a friend tight for years, that look meant... another bloody fucking scheme.
"Yeah, no need to kick me out, I'm gone. Told my Nongs I'd grab snacks for them. They're probably griping by now." And Sun agreed oddly surprising easy, snagged what he needed, and stood up fast. But before he could turn to go, Dear froze when Phîi Porsche spoke with a big grin.
"Hey, Sun, tell your buddies if they need a study spot, my condo's open. This little one never brings friends to the place. I was worried he had no pals."
Phîi, why'd you invite them?!
Dear wanted to yell. I've dodged like hell to keep them from the condo. Drop me off downstairs. When they ask who I live with, I say Jae Dream set it up. Drop my beloved sister's name, and Âi Sun shuts up. Now all my secrets for weeks are out.
"Thanks, Phîi... Haha, free AC, why not? I'll swing by sometime... Yo, I'm out, Dear."
Go drop dead somewhere, just go. Faster you leave, the better.
Dear could only purse his lips in a get lost, I'm done with you look, while his heart pounded, praying this damned nuisance friend wouldn't spill anything big. He almost sighed when Sun reached the gate. But as he stepped one foot out, he spun back.
I'm bloody fucking done.
Sun locked eyes with him for a split second, just a second. But for friends who knew each other inside out for years, how could he not know what he was about to say? Too late to stop him.
"Oh yeah, good to meet you, Phîi Porsche. Heard Dear talk about you tons. Just met the guy I respect and looooove so much today. Let me tell you, I... Everything's... Lex's Phîi. Heh." With that, Sun turned, winked at him once, then bolted, slamming the gate shut. Seconds later, Dear heard the motorcycle roar off, leaving the guy who respected and loved Phîi Porsche frozen stiff.
You bloody fucking traitor!
Okay, he'd never let Phîi Porsche's name slip to any friend. Not once. Except that one day when Âi Shin asked about the Faculty Moon, and he let it slip. But "Lex's Phîi," all his close friends had heard that. Everyone knew how much he looked up to this friend's Phîi. So much he could yap about him for days.
Get it? Back in tenth grade, I just started crushing on Phîi Porsche. My head was all Phîi Porsche. Whatever anyone said, I tied it to Phîi Porsche.
Like, yeah, entered the water bottle rocket contest this year. Know what? Lex's Phîi took first once.
This project, I want to do half as good as Lex's Phîi.
Who do I look up to? Lex's Phîi, duh. Know he graduated with first-class honors?
You look like crap next to him. Lex's Phîi's way better looking. My idol, man.
And tons more "Lex's Phîi."
Now it felt like Sun just spilled how long this Âi Dear had been into Phîi Porsche. And so... sob.
No shock that once Sun learned who Phîi Porsche was to his friend now studying in America, he pieced it together fast. But was it cool to throw a friend under like that? And how could he say out loud that Phîi Porsche was someone he respected and... loved so much?
S.O.
It might not mean he knew Dear loved Phîi Porsche, but with a guilty conscience, it felt like his friend ripped his chest open, yanked his heart out for Phîi Porsche to see.
And fine, Phîi Porsche probably already knew what he felt. But Sun's words hammered home how he'd felt about this Phîi for years.
"Respect and love me?"
Yo, Phîi! How're you standing so close, breathing down my neck?!
Dear stood even stiffer when the soft, warm voice of the tall Phîi sounded behind him. And he wasn't sure if he imagined it, but he felt steam from Phîi Porsche's damp shirt hit his arm somehow. He wanted to turn and play dumb like usual, but his heart pounded so hard he couldn't control himself.
Turn around, and Phîi Porsche will see how red my face is.
"Your friend said... you talk about me a lot."
You damned goose! How much did you burn me? Give back my homework! I'm not letting you copy!
He wanted to sulk at his damned nuisance friend, but first, he had to get out of this mess.
"Uh... don't listen to him, Phîi. He's nuts, out of his mind." That was all he could manage. Hell, I'm damn good at dodging. That got Phîi Porsche to say coolly.
"So you never talk about me."
The lousy liar was speechless, standing frozen, as Phîi Porsche walked around to face him, forcing him to drop his head and stare at his flip-flops, dodging eye contact hard, which made Purin smirk, his sharp eyes gleaming.
Whoosh
"Phîi..." Dear gasped when, for some damn reason, Phîi Porsche knelt down and looked up to meet his eyes.
The sight made the guy looking down want to turn away fast, but Phîi Porsche kneeling and looking up wasn't something you saw every day. Then came words from the roommate, grinning wide.
"You admire me?"
Yeah, I admire you like crazy. Been admiring you since before I even liked you, damn it! Back then, I'd have answered loud and proud. But now, 'cause it's more than admiration, I can't talk.
Meanwhile, Purin eyed the little one, who likely didn't know he was pouting, his fair cheeks red as hell on both sides. Though he could tell this Nong's feelings for him went beyond admiration, he picked the safest word one guy could feel for another.
Why doesn't it feel bizarre at all? Hell, I find it damn cute that he admires me this much.
"What's that?"
"Quit with the 'Khrap' with me." He mumbled to himself. Besides losing to Phîi Porsche every way, him saying 'Khrap' to me makes my heart flip.
"And then..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! I admire you, happy now? Admire you tons! Never admired anyone like this before! Happy?" He threw it out sarcastic, then turned his face away, making Phîi Porsche stand up straight, a soft laugh slipping out, making the admirer clamp his lips tight.
"No need to laugh, Phîi. I know you gotta feel weird about a guy admiring you this much. But so what? Just seeing you as an idol, a role model, you won't rag on me, right?" Sometimes Dear hated himself. When he got too rattled, stuff he shouldn't say spilled out. Now he wouldn't even look at Phîi Porsche's face, scared... scared he'd be pissed.
Thwack
"Overthinking. Why would I rag on you?" But then, Phîi Porsche put a hand on his head, ruffled it light, making the listener snap his eyes up to meet his, catching that smile... the wide smile he loved most.
"Kissing you, I don't even find that weird. You admiring me another way probably isn't weirder than that."
Thud
The listener's face and ears burned red from the guy talking about kissing like it was nothing. He was mad at himself too. Why couldn't he talk about this stuff normal like Phîi Porsche?
"Let's get back to work. Fertilize the trees, right..."
Whoosh
"Yo!" Purin, heading back to the garage, yelped in shock when the small frame of the young man who'd been frozen earlier lunged, jumping to wrap his arms around his neck from behind, making Purin shift to support his legs, scared he'd fall and get hurt. He was also shocked by the guy suddenly bold enough to jump on his back like this.
"Phîi Porsche, I want to ask something."
"Shoot." Though thrown by the bizarre move, Purin nodded. Then he heard the little puppy mutter by his ear.
"Can I... really admire you?" It was a question both listener and speaker got the same meaning from.
Can I... love you?
Purin went quiet. Some feeling swirled in his chest. His mouth nearly slipped, Why can't a Nong admire his Phîi? But his heart stopped the words. Especially with the little puppy burying his face in his shoulder. The small frame, no heavier than a girl's, clung tight to his neck like he was scared of something.
The close touch that Purin knew he liked, having this little puppy snuggling near.
"You don't have to answer me." 'Cause I'll love you anyway.
"You can."
Thud
But just as he was losing hope, Phîi Porsche said it calm. Though he couldn't see Phîi Porsche's face, the listener's heart raced like crazy with that answer. Then his mouth blurted out.
"For real? Really, Phîi Porsche? I... can really?"
"Heh, this puppy asks too much. Let's get back to work." Dear knew Phîi Porsche was dodging repeating the question. The listener didn't need another answer, 'cause just Phîi Porsche saying "You can" felt like this Phîi opened his heart for him to step closer.
"Yo, Phîi Porsche, I'll fall!" That thought vanished when Phîi Porsche teased by dropping the hands under his knees, leaving him dangling, feet off the ground, arms clinging tight, yelling loud, making Phîi Porsche laugh hard.
"Ouch! How loud you guys going to get? I can't sleep!" But the laughter stopped dead when the second-floor door swung open again, followed by Jae Dream with a face like she'd kill someone, her sharp voice screeching down, making Purin look up.
"Sorry, we'll keep it down." The young man said with a faint smile, like someone calming a hothead as usual. That got Jae Dream to pout at him.
"Yah!" Though Jae Dream should've snapped once or twice, facing Phîi Porsche, the pretty older sister (who looked anything but pretty now) spun back to her room, leaving Dear to whisper low.
"How'd you do that, Phîi Porsche? Thought Jae would eat my liver."
"Heh, just give Dream her way, and it's all good."
"Like I don't give Jae her way. Bloody fucking hell, she bosses me around, and I do everything. Jae's never nice to me." The young man grumbled, then went quiet when Phîi Porsche said, chuckling.
"You should know better than anyone who Dream loves most."
"Yeah, yeah! Come on, Phîi Porsche, help me fertilize the trees." Unable to win, he let go of the other's neck, stood on the ground, mustered guts to grab Phîi Porsche's wrist, and pulled him back to the garage. Phîi Porsche followed easy, making him unable to hide a grin.
Maybe Âi Sun's dog-mouth isn't so bad after all. The thought came to someone who didn't notice how deep Purin was staring at him. The same guy then looked up at the closed second-floor door.
A friend's Nong, or more? Time to figure it out, Purin.
"Âi Dear, you seen Phîi Ryu lately?"
"Phîi Ryu, you mean?"
"Yeah, how many Phîi Ryus you got? Asking like I mean someone else."
After afternoon classes ended and they waited for cheering practice as usual, Dear and his two freshman pals sat on a bench under a building. The middle was littered with snack wrappers and several water bottles. No need to guess whose mess.
I ate one pack, split it with Âi Sun too. Rest... that half-blood cleaned up.
Then out of nowhere, the guy Dear thought would rag on Phîi Porsche all morning asked about someone he hadn't seen in a while. Last he remembered, Phîi Ryu brought him two boxes of textbooks and old handouts before the Star & Moon contest.
"Pissing me off..."
"Don't pout at me. You got a new Phûa now."
"Hmph."
Thought he'd dropped it, but Âi Sun went there. Right in front of Âi Shin too. The second that half-blood heard, he looked up from his precious iPhone, a half-chewed chocolate Pocky stick in his mouth.
"Oh, right, haven't told you, Âi Shin. My new Phûa's bloody fucking handsome. Looks real grown-up, dependable. Saw him, I waved the white flag." Âi Sun said it joking, glancing at Dear once, making the guy teased about a new Phûa grind his teeth.
Heard you snitched, damn it! Don't even have a first Phûa, how's there a new one?
"What, your Nongs cool with it? Brother-in-law's got options." And that half-blood asked, unfazed, like gossiping housewives with too much time, while Âi Sun laughed, loving it.
"They're fine with it. My Nongs, long as my Phûa's a guy, they're good with... Argh!" Before Âi Sun finished, the guy in the hot seat (no surprise, these two were at it again) shoved a stack of Lay's chips in his mouth, nearly choking him. Meanwhile, Âi Shin chuckled, eyeing his short friend.
"You cheat on him and now going to off him too?"
"Cheat, my bloody fucking ass! Enough, you guys! Always picking on me... You asked about Phîi Ryu, right? Haven't seen him in a bit. No calls either. What's your deal, asking about my senior? You got no seniors of your own?" Whether pissed or embarrassed, Dear flipped the topic, turning to the guy no longer the shiny Faculty Moon, voice low. Âi Sun gestured to chill.
"Nothing, just asking... Think you can dodge me, huh?"
"What'd you say?"
"Nothing." Dear swore he heard his friend mutter something, but it wasn't clear. Asked again, he brushed it off, so Dear just shrugged and went back to eyeing the cheering lyrics they'd practiced for nearly a month.
Things seemed to settle, till a soft voice piped up.
"Uh... Shin..."
Snap
This time, Dear nearly dropped the lyrics, whipping his head to the speaker like he was Shin himself. I haven't told you all, after that damned Star & Moon contest mess, instead of everyone cussing out Âi Shin, he... got famous.
No clue if girls dig rough, trashy guys, but since he went all Âi-drama-queen on stage, then played tough in the cheering hall, Âi Shin's name's been everywhere. Even Âi Sun joked he's the real Faculty Moon, 'cause all the young women and Kathoey, in and out of the faculty, are into him.
Or do girls go for unpredictable guys like him?
Dear thought, amused, then eyed the long-haired young woman in student uniform standing there with interest. Though he knew his friend was a big deal, this was the first time someone came looking for him like this. Plus, this girl seemed familiar somehow.
"Science Faculty Star."
Holy Good Lord, a Star-level girl!
Dear could only widen his eyes when Âi Sun leaned in to whisper, like he knew what Dear was wondering.
"Uh, can I borrow Shin for a sec?"
"Sure, say what you want." Meanwhile, Âi Shin glanced up for a split second, just a second, then went back to tapping his iPhone, making the girl look a bit uneasy.
"Uh, here?"
"Yeah, go ahead. I'm listening." But the listener's vibe was hammering a game on his phone, not paying a lick of attention, making Dear feel bad for the girl, already looking bummed. Should nudge him to listen up. But before he could, the Science Star took a deep breath and said with damn strong resolve.
"I like you, Shin."
Thud
Dear could swear Âi Shin froze for a second, just a second, even with the girl saying she liked him. Then he went back to his game, straight-faced, while his mouth dropped words that crushed the listener's heart.
"Hmm, if it's dating, I'd have to decline. But if it's just sleeping together, that's okay."
Yo, Âi Shin! Are you really that kind of guy?!
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