[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Chapter 19: Love it
"He is gay, Phii Mork."
"Huh?"
"I am just his friend, is that clear enough?"
I squealed.
"Huh?" I looked.
"And he really likes you too, Phii Mork."
I was shocked, "What!!?? No way. Not true at all, Bambi, I think you should talk to Tee first, he really loves us."
"Seems like you really want to help me, huh? Are you hired for this? Anyway, your real boyfriend is here now, tell him to go back home, everyone is worried about him, with him running away from home like this. He's not a kid anymore."
"Wait, what?" I was stunned, "Ran away from home?"
Bambi looked at me with a bored expression.
"I don't understand you either, Phii Mork. What kind of boyfriend are you? If you really love him, take care of your boyfriend a bit.
"I'm not his boyfriend
"I want to take care of him but…"
“Tee isn't gay, Bambi."
Bambi sighed annoyedly at me, "If you don't believe it. Then prove it."
…
"Oh, young man, take a bunch of bananas as an apology. Auntie likes to let customers taste them. The bananas at the shop, customers just leave the peels around. I didn't even notice they fell on the floor, causing you to get hurt."
"No thanks."
"Take it, so there won't be any sin between us, and don't sue the market owner, okay, take it!" The lady stuffed a banana from her shop into my hand, then waved me off to get me to leave. Not to stand blocking her shop.
"Ning, can I ask you something?" I said to Ning as I was riding the motorcycle back home.
"What now, Phii?"
"Can you tell if someone is, uh..."
"Is what?"
"Uh." I hesitated.
"Oh, come on, just say it, I'm getting annoyed, Phii Mork, and the Thai sun is so hot." She said, fanning herself with her hand.
"Can you tell if someone is gay?"
"Why, Phii Mork?"
"I'm not saying I am gay, I mean..."
"No idea, Phii, why ask me?"
"Then how can you tell, like if you want to know if someone is?"
"Hmm." Ning seemed to think, then she hugged me from behind.
"Hey!" I was startled, swerving the bike on the main road, "See, Phii Mork, that's one way to test."
"Anyone would be startled if you hug them out of the blue like that, Ning."
"I didn't mean whether you're startled or not."
"And those things like looking at the pinky finger, or how they lift their foot when stepping in dog poop, those are for spotting ladyboys, professional gays, I think they don't really work." By "spotting ladyboys." she probably meant looking at men who dress like women or something like that.
"I hugged you not to startle you at all."
"Huh?"
"I just wanted to see if you felt anything, haha." Ning chuckled softly before hugging me again. This time, she didn't just hug; she ran her hands over my chest, her nails grazing my nipple. No way!
"Ning, stop."
"Are you aroused, Phii-Mork? No need to be shy, I won't tell anyone, you can trust me.
‘Don't, don't stop, I love it like crazy, uh, thrilling, so arousing, why ask?'
She quickly pulled away when she realized I was aroused by women.
“So, you do get aroused by women, but you know, being gay or not isn't about getting aroused by women.”
"I was driving without focus because you pinched my nipples, but don't reach for Pikachu while driving, I'm scared.”
“It has to be being aroused by a man, Phii-Mork.”
"So, you want me to hug him and ask if he is aroused, huh? That's perverted. If it says it's thrilling, what will you do? Won't you help? Haha."
"Oh, Phii Mork, how will you respond to me about getting into trouble? You're really hard to understand with all that I have said, just to tell you, being gay or not, it's about sexual preference. If you want to know if someone's gay, see if they're aroused by men. Maybe no need for a hug, perhaps."
"Are you crazy?"
"Not like that."
I furrowed my brows.
“Porn… Phii Mork?!! you've got tons…”
…
"Where have you been since morning, Hia? Where'd you get those bananas?"
"Why haven't you showered yet? You have a special class today, dude."
"How can I shower, Hia?" Morn raised his eyebrows three times, teasing me. I knew immediately it had to be about something.
"Huh?" But I played dumb. I smiled a bit at the corner of my mouth.
"Well, there's a guest at home. I have to welcome them first, bro. Now the guest is waiting in your room, bro."
"Damn it, why did you let another person wait in my bedroom? It's not like..."
"It's your boyfriend visiting, where else should your boyfriend wait if not in your bedroom? I didn't know where else to put him. If he's in your room, it's probably safe. If you don't do anything, hehe."
"You know too much, go take a shower."
I went into the house, up the stairs, and quickly into my bedroom.
Tee was sitting there playing with an iPad on the bed.
"Hey! What are you doing messing with my stuff!"
I was startled when I saw him messing with my iPad, which was filled with photos of him from yesterday. Tee looked at me, puzzled, not feeling the heat or urgency like I did. I yelled at him, and even then, dheidn't quickly put it back where it was; instead, he had the audacity to smile sweetly at me.
What should I do? Morn, my little brother, must have told him the password. He must have seen the photos I took of him yesterday, those tight pants, firm butt... oh no.
And he might know I keep the photos to look at, especially since they were on the bed. He probably knows I look at them before sleeping. No, everything is about to end if he knows the truth.
"Password?"
"Huh?" What are you muttering? Speak human words, handsome one doesn't hear, "What password, just want to play a bit."
Phew.
I felt a bit relieved. At first, I thought Morn, my brother, had already told him the password to use the device.
"Telling would be stupid. Haha."
"Tell me, pleaseee." He said in a childlike pleading voice, smiling at me as I walked towards him.
"You're here early, huh."
I sat down on the bed, next to him, then turned to look at his smiling face.
Damn, our faces are too close. No. I quickly turned to look straight ahead and accidentally smiled, feeling shy. Uh, what should I say? Say something, the atmosphere right now isn't good, sitting on the bed in a private place, just the two of us. Something bad might happen, he'll definitely laugh at me.
"What's up?" I asked sternly, secretly pinching my finger as I spoke. Don't be, move a bit to the left, so we're farther apart, easier to talk. I moved as I thought.
"Where have you been?"
"Why? Oh, and don't come into my room again if I haven't told you to." I just said it. My room is private. Sometimes I do things and don't clean up. Not at all tidy.
But my words seemed too harsh, Tee looked shocked, quickly looking down at the floor. Oh damn, what now? Am I wrong again? Alright, then, uh, what to do, how to fix this situation?
"Hey, I was kidding. Just don't want you coming in, my room's dirty. Not tidy at all, see?" I lightly patted his shoulder and laughed to cover it up. Tee beside me relaxed, not understanding myself at all.
It's wrong to enter someone else's bedroom, right? And, I told him about social manners, where am I wrong? Why do I have to feel bad? It started giving me a mischievous smile again, still smiling.
"It's really not tidy, full of ants, haha." He laughed, pointing at the underwear on the floor beside the bed.
My eyes followed, "Real!." with white stains.
Many ants were walking on an old pair of Rossi underwear, and there were still some curly hairs stuck to it.
"Oh my, no, I told you not to come in here. Next time you come in, I'll really get angry. It's not right, you understand, this is personal space."
I quickly bent down to pick up the underwear, smiled at my friend, not daring to look Tee in the face again before tossing it into a basket near the wardrobe on the other side of the room. Did he see any stains on the underwear? He probably did, it was so obvious. I could still see it, and if he hadn't seen it after being in this room for so long, that would be bad.
Crazy, can't blame them though, they wanted to come into my room. This is my private room. I can leave whatever I want, place anything where I want. He smiled at me in a teasing, almost laughing way. I couldn't do anything except smile back and scratch my head awkwardly.
"Full of porn on the iPad?" He teased me.
"Yeah, so what." I said. It's true, you know, selling movies, you get it.
I looked at him smiling, feeling uneasy. Why did we have to sit next to each other, now talking about porn together? Next, he'll invite me to watch porn together. No way. I thought, this is too lewd. I quickly pulled the iPad from his hands, acting like I was protective of it.
"Heh heh." He laughed.
"I sell movies, so my collection has to be complete. Interested in a title or two, huh?" I gave him a forced smile.
"Porn, right Phii Mork, you've got tons." Suddenly I remembered Ning's words. I started wanting to test him with gay porn like Ning suggested, but would it be weird to just start showing him gay porn? And I didn't know if it would be too risky, haha. What if he gets excited? I would...
"If you want to watch, it has to be under my control." An image flashed in my mind of two young men lying close together on a bed watching porn, and then, uh. No. I quickly shook those images and thoughts away.
I pushed him off the bed and lay down spread out, placing both arms under my head, lifting one leg up, and looked at him who was now looking at me strangely.
He looked along my body, down to my leg.
"Scraped your leg?"
What did he say? I didn't catch that.
"Saw you limping, does it hurt?" His voice made my heart flutter.
But soon I felt oddly annoyed. Tee seemed like he was trying to touch my leg to check the wound.
"Don't mess with it. It's not that painful."
Tee looked shocked at my words.
‘Uh, did I speak without thinking again? Why should he be that shocked? We're friends, we talk like this, what the hell?’
"If you want to treat my wound, just say so, but don't worry about me. This little wound? No big deal, I'm tough as nails." I said with a smile as I looked at him.
"Worried? Ha!" Suddenly, he repeated my words and laughed. I quickly turned away, not wanting to deal with him anymore.
Everything went quiet for about two minutes.
"Been working out?" I turned back, looking at him confused, almost wanting to snap at him. Why doesn't he just leave my room? I want to sleep. If, uh... if he wasn't looking at me like that.
Tee was eyeing my white sleeveless sports shirt, noticing my cool shoulders, my muscular arms, before his gaze dropped to my light-colored, thin fabric soccer shorts, which now made it obvious I wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Especially with my sweat covering my chest, making the thin fabric I like to sleep in seem almost transparent.
And with my current pose, with my arm raised under my head, you could see my armpit hair, making my body odor spread throughout the room.
He glanced at the bulge in my shorts again, and I was quick. Now, those shorts were betraying me, expanding.
My heart was pounding, I was sweating and feeling hot all over, the atmosphere here was getting really concerning.
Petal
"What are you looking at?" I breathed heavily, blurting out directly to break the awkward silence, even though I knew what he was looking at.
What would he be looking at? Guys have the same stuff, if he wants to look, he should look at his own. He averted his eyes from that part of me.
Tee quickly bowed his head as if feeling guilty, his body stiffened, not knowing what to do, but his hands were trembling like he was scared. I'm not mad, my stuff is just big like this, pretty to look at, huh? Haha!
"Like my type, huh?" I started teasing, feeling playful, wanting to mess with him more. As usual, I tried saying something risky.
Tee listened and was shocked again, his mouth seemed to say, "What?!"
"Sexy, right?" I continued to be cheeky, rubbing the bulge in my shorts. Looking very mischievous before laughing at him, "Haha!" I shouldn't do this, he seems to hate it so much, might as well leave, acting like we're close when we've only known each other a few days.
Tee's gaze followed my hand, which was now clutching that part. He realized if I didn't cover it, the person next to him would see it was fully erect now.
‘I don't think I just saw him swallow his saliva, then look serious.’
He couldn't say anything, just looked at me.
"I'm kidding, you look so serious." I tried to change the subject to lighten the mood, but it seemed like Tee wasn't going to let it go.
"Love it."
Chapter 20: Shrimp and Pork Porridge
"I'm kidding, you look so serious." I tried to change the subject to improve the atmosphere, but it seemed like Tee wasn't going to let it go.
"Love it."
"Huh!" What?
"Your figure is cool."
!!! Are you joking? My heart's beating like crazy, my hand holding something is twitching with my pulse.
I quickly pulled the blanket up to cover my body from feet to shoulders, feeling scared of its gaze. Tee, sitting on the bed next to me, started to blush. I began to distrust him.
He looked at me and then lay down beside me!!
"Hey, what are you doing?" I moved away from him.
"Lie down too, didn't sleep last night."
"Damn it, get out." I sat up on the bed, pushing his shoulder.
"Quiet, I am about to sleep." His voice was flat.
I looked at Tee beside me, lying with his eyes closed, his right arm placed on his forehead as if he was bearing some problem.
"Can't sleep, thinking about Bambi, huh? Haha."
Acting like a little kid, pretending not to be able to sleep, showing off.
No response from the number you have dialed.
"Hey, are you really asleep or not? Watch out, I might molest you without realizing, haha." I teased him playfully.
No way, don't come sleep around here, or I'll do things to you for real.
"Aren't you afraid? There are a lot of sleep-rape clips these days, haha, I'll strip you and take photos if you dare, pretending to be close so you can sleep here."
"Five days now." He opened his eyes and smiled at me.
Are you counting too?
He's counting which five days, let me try counting too, oh right, it's really been five days, it must have been torture for five days.
"Love isn't measured by time." Tee sat up on the bed like me.
He looked into my eyes for a long, long time.
So long it felt strangely torturous.
Because his eyes were too sparkling.
Staring at me like he was about to eat me.
About getting intimately acquainted with my inner self.
But soon, his big round eyes slowly turned into curved lines.
He smiled, showing his white teeth at me, before getting up from the bed to grab a banana, "Some people only take a moment. And remember it for a lifetime." He must mean Bambi, he handed me the banana on the bed, "Here."
"Don't want it."
"Don't want it, I can eat it myself." Tee smiled, sat down, and started peeling the banana on my bed.
"Went to the market?" He asked me.
"Yeah, man."
"Bought anything to eat? I'm hungry." Stop acting cute, talking like a kid like that.
"Only bananas, as you see." Didn't buy them though, they were free, damn good, "You like bananas? Bought only those?"
"Hate them a lot, someone gave them to me, just eat them." Thinking about it makes my scrapes hurt, coming up to greet me.
"Tastes good, and it's healthy too." He bit the banana lightly.
I watched him in front of me, slowly swallowing my saliva.
His thin lips gently covered down to touch the hard, yellow stick, his white teeth gently nibbling, and biting into his cheek lightly.
And there's this sticky, stretchy rubber around the mouth, from the banana.
Mmmhpf…fuck
"What are you looking at?" Tee called out to me. I flinched.
"Nothing, I have to take my brother to a tutoring class soon."
Tee looked at me sadly at my words, as if asking if I was going outside, should he go back to the dorm? What to do, don't go back just yet.
"Wait here first. Okay?" I said with a shaky voice, "Yeah, okay, don't go anywhere, got it?"
Tee nodded and placed the banana peel on my reading table after eating, next to my books by the bed, then laid down and hugged Morn beside him. I got up from the bed.
"I want some porridge."
I frowned, "Why tell me?"
Tee made a sad face, what to do, tired of these playful looks, always melting my heart. I need to find a joke to help, say something to make things better.
"I don't have regular porridge, just the thick, sticky homemade kind, haha!"
!? He was startled, looking like he didn't hear me clearly. [1] Mork meant semen
"Never mind, I'm just kidding." I said, but suddenly he gave me a sly look, "I want to eat."
I blinked, at a loss for words.
Everything went quiet for over a minute, it was getting awkward until it was too long.
"I'll drop Morn off first, you go to sleep." I just remembered and quickly changed the subject, "Give me the iPad password, I want to scroll on my Facebook."
"Not sleepy anymore, huh? Playing on the phone till now. Yesterday, someone left their little brother with me. Your camera is over there, and take an empty memory card, each photo I took is awesome, I don't want to share it with anyone."
I smiled, grabbed the phone from the drawer beside the bed, handed it to Tee, stood up, took his camera, before walking to open the wardrobe in the corner of the room.
I glanced back at the person on the bed; he tapped on the phone for a bit, then hugged Morn beside me and turned the other way.
"I have something to ask you." I said normally while choosing clothes to wear, wanting to ask him directly if he's gay.
Because if he really was, I'd stop helping him.
Because if he really was, I'd be angry at him for deceiving women, and for deceiving me into doing who knows what.
I was confused about what I was doing, and why.
I didn't quite understand what he wanted, or why he did those things.
Tee turned towards me, eyes closed, listening to the question.
"Are you..." I started feeling unsure if I should ask him, this kind of question might not get a truthful answer.
If I wanted the truth, I'd have to prove it through actions. prove it? maybe with Ning's method.
Tee opened his eyes and looked confused, so I quickly changed the question, firing at him immediately, "You, uh, I met your girl today."
Tee closed his eyes, uninterested in me, quickly turned back to hug Morn on the other side, lifting his leg over and hugging Morn tightly.
"Should you love her? She seems to really love you."
I felt uncomfortable, so I quickly took off my shirt and pants, put on new ones, and walked out of the room.
"Hey Morn, is our home's congee finished?" I asked my younger brother.
"There are three packs left, and there's some instant noodles, but eating now won't be in time, Hia. I will be late. You can eat when you come back."
…
Twenty minutes passed when I drove my motorbike back home. My dad started sweeping the floor, wiping chairs, and preparing to open the shop. The beautiful Phii Som was holding a broom, about to go to the back of the shop, and she smiled at me.
I walked back carrying a bag of fresh groceries from another market trip because when I went with Ning, I didn't bring money, so I thought I'd buy something.
MuadMoo looked at the bag in my hand, hoping for some snacks, thinking I might have bought something for him, but was disappointed and got grumpy from hunger.
"You bought shrimp, pork, vegetables, so many things." MuadMoo complained and turned to watch TV.
I made a teasing face at Muad and walked into the back with Phii Som. Phii Som looked at the bag of groceries and teased me with a smile.
"What are you smiling at? Happy with your husband now, Phii Som? How's the motorbike taxi guy at the alley entrance, any good?"
"Oh, come on, what's with this 'any good' talk? I dumped him, time to find a new husband."
"Wow, that was quick, Phii. That's what I call a hot girl."
"Oh, come on, what's with this 'quick' talk? If you're sure, just grab the opportunity."
While unpacking the groceries, then I asked something out of curiosity, "Hey Phii Som, how do you know if someone likes you, like who, or if it's going to work out?" I turned to meet Sister Som's eyes and chuckled.
Phii Som looked at me, stunned, I bowed my head down and asked more seriously.
"Have you ever been confused? Like, who you are into, the same sex or the other sex, who is like a target group, you know, haha?"
"Oh, Nong Mork, a target group? Take what you want. Nong Mork, don't overthink it, make it complicated. Nowadays, things like licking someone or loving someone are not divided by gender anymore. If it clicks, it's a go. Look at me." Phii Som placed her hand on her chest and continued, "I'm a pursuer!”
I was shocked, "Really, Phii Som? Haha, why do guys these days like girls who... well, you know, haha!"
My dad popped his head in from the front of the house, "Well, if it clicks, it's a go. I've seen you, Som, how many rounds have you clicked? Come help sweep here, come on!"
…
I ran upstairs, peeked through the door to see if the person in the bedroom was awake, but he wasn't.
I hurried downstairs, mixed shrimp with pork, a bit of salt and pepper, shaping pork into small bite-sized balls, then picked some cilantro and spring onion instead of using a knife on a cutting board since I can't cut well. After that, I put the meat in the microwave for five minutes to ensure it's cooked, then went to grab a pack of instant congee from the cupboard.
Tear the corner of the packet wide and pour it into a bowl, add hot water and crack an egg in, timing it just right with the meat that's done in the microwave, then pour all the ingredients into the porridge bowl, stir just enough to break the egg yolk a bit, then warm it up on the stove again to cook the egg just enough.
Not long after,
The porridge starts to smell slightly burnt, it is still edible, huh?
But after sneaking a taste, it's actually delicious.
"Why are you putting the porridge in a bag, son!" MuadMoo followed the smell, seeing me scoop the porridge from the bowl into a bag.
"Oh, father, who gently puts porridge in a bag? I poured the bag back into the bowl, that's how." I defended myself with a straight face.
"Oh, you brat."
Chapter 21: Tonight, Someone's Coming Over to Sleep
"Why are you putting the porridge in a bag, son?" MuadMoo followed the smell and saw me transferring the porridge from a bowl into a bag.
I did this because I didn't want him to know I cooked for him. I wanted him to think I bought the porridge from some shop. Because if he knew, I'd be really embarrassed.
And who knows if he would laugh at me?
Why should someone like me have to cook for him?
"Father, who gently puts porridge in a bag? I just took the bag and poured it back into the bowl, that's how." I replied with a straight face.
"Don't lie to me, huh? Come on, you only made one bowl? I'm hungry too."
"Bought just one bag, ran out of money." I continued my bluff.
"Ah, just in time."
Here comes Tee walking down the stairs at the perfect moment!!!
"Come down to eat porridge, my son went through the trouble to cook it."
"I bought it, at the entrance of the alley!!" Why am I so unconvincing? I quickly shouted to cut off my dad's words.
He rubbed his eyes and said to me, "It's almost ten o'clock. Is the front of the alley still not cleared out?" Tee walked over to look at me, my dad went out to greet the first customer in front of the shop, "Smells good, shrimp pork porridge?"
"I ordered shrimp pork porridge." Oh, that wasn't smooth, is there any shop that sells a mix of shrimp pork?
"Just one bowl, and what about Mork's?"
"Uh, I've eaten it." My voice trembled as I told him I had eaten, even though I hadn't eaten anything yet.
"Then you should eat it." He seemed to catch my lie.
"Damn. I told you I've eaten."
"Let someone else eat it then, I have to go home now." Tee was walking out to the front of the shop.
"Going home…”
...to see Bambi, huh?
I don't know why I said something like that. I was just angry, or maybe upset, or extremely disappointed. Who said they wanted to eat? I made it for them to eat, didn't I? Usually, I don't just make it for anyone to eat like this, right? But damn, he just discarded it, my feelings too.
Tee turned to look at me with an annoyed expression. It didn't help me understand if he was actually going home, or really going to see his girl. Maybe I was being foolish too. He got his phone now. He might call Bambi, maybe they've made up.
"Yeah, just go home." I said, taking on the role of chasing him away.
Tee didn't wait for me to finish speaking; he seemed in a bad mood. If you noticed, today I was the one throwing out the lame jokes, not him.
And if you noticed, he didn't react to my jokes at all but acted seriously, like he was talking about real things. Ever since he said he liked my figure. Ever since he said he wanted to eat that porridge I was joking about.
I don't know what's wrong with him.
I watched him hail a taxi in front of the house, then turned to look at the porridge on the table and sighed.
It hurt when he said, "Let someone else eat it then."
I was sad, disappointed.
I shouldn't have let my feelings go this far.
"Huh, let someone else eat it then."
…
"Gay movies don't sell, only straight ones."
"Hey, not selling movies anymore? Last week you were still buying."
"Take it easy, kid. What's wrong with you now!"
I'm in a bad mood and feel as irritated as a madman. I don't know what to do, feeling the same. Don't want to think about revenge, my heart wants to escape to learn makeup, meditate, scuba dive, plant corals, cook, give massages, plant forests, farm. Watch Disney on Ice, play golf, go boating, watch animals, shop. Watch opera. See a play. Attend a concert, dine, bake, arrange flowers, visit a water market, learn photography. Watch acrobatics, explore old towns, attend seminars, go on a spiritual tour, learn to dance and sing, I'll go now.
That's a lot, huh. I want to escape anywhere, I just don't want to think about the morning porridge.
The porridge he didn't eat, the porridge I gave to the dog, but even the dog didn't eat it, life's so dramatic, making bad porridge is the worst. Now I have to buy shrimp and pork from the market again, investing again, and the porridge burnt too, not worth it at all.
"I'll have Mork deliver it this evening, let him cool down a bit, your brother lives in the dorm at the front of the alley, right?"
"Not that dorm." not going to the same dorm as Tee, enough already. Don't want to get upset again, won't deal with him anymore!!
"Shut up already, drop it, I'll deliver it to the dorm." MuadMoo then walked over and hit me on the head.
"Ouch!"
"Go find something else to do."
In the end, what I did wasn't learning makeup.
I chose to call Ton and Au, the Bear Playing Lottery.
"Drinking beer at one in the afternoon, you bastard?"
"My treat."
"Damn."
"What have you been up to Hia, I smell something weird." I came to pick up my little brother. In the evening as usual.
Looking towards the building as if searching for someone, but didn't find anyone.
"What weird smell?"
I'm restless, talking to Morn, he wouldn't know what smell. I had a bit to drink, the smell gave it away more than my behavior. I'm still fully aware, driving, seeing my brother jumping up to hug me from behind on the motorcycle.
"Oh. I know now. Hia, you definitely didn't shower."
"Oh, right, haha." I laughed dryly to cover up, then drove off back home.
"Didn't see your boyfriend today, usually he has classes too on Sundays." said Morn, hugging me from behind and leaning forward to talk to me. "After he visited our house, did he go to class, I wondered?"
"You ask me, how would I know? Shut up." I breathed out angrily, annoyed.
My brother went quiet for a moment but hugged me tighter as if comforting me.
"Hia, is there anything to eat at home?"
"No, what do you want to eat?"
"This morning you mentioned porridge. I have been wanting to eat porridge all day."
I went silent, almost forgot about that.
"Why didn't you eat?"
"Didn't have time; the teacher let us out late. From the usual twenty minutes, today we only had ten. I had no time." He said. If it were me, I'd skip class to eat first; stomach matters, right?
"Go buy some cup of porridge. We're at 7-Eleven." I stopped the motorcycle for my brother to go buy some food at the 7-Eleven across from the school. Not far from our house. Well, you could say just twenty-nine steps away.
As Morn walked into the store, I rode back home, leaving Morn to walk back himself, unlike usual days when we'd go in together and return together. I just didn't want to wait; I was in a bad mood. Not hungry. Didn't want to eat or wait or do anything.
"You're back late." MuadMoo was sweeping up hair from the floor.
"Late? I picked up Morn at ten and came straight back; he was slow in 7-Eleven."
"Drink too much beer, watch out, you'll get fat like me." MuadMoo probably smelled the beer, talking to me without looking up.
"Oh, your friend sent over three bottles of pomegranate juice. It's nice, said to give one to you, one to Morn, and one to..."
I looked at my dad who gave me a slight smile.
"Heard he came back?"
"Really back home, Muad?" I couldn't help but smile with joy.
"Why are you so happy about that?"
I felt an indescribable joy. Just knowing he really came back home, not gone elsewhere, made me happy.
"There he is, I told you he'd come back." my dad looked outside the shop. I walked out to see.
Tee smiled when he saw me, raised his right arm in greeting, his left arm around Morn's neck, who was shorter, walking beside him. Next to Morn was Gord, his classmate and a boyfriend, walking closely, looking cute too.
"Morn said you left him, huh." Tee smiled at me.
"Hia, you didn't wait at all, always rushing home first, leaving me walking alone." Morn said, turning to hug Gord closer, "But I happened to meet Gord, my boyfriend, and your boyfriend just by chance."
My younger brother and Gord, his boyfriend, looked at each other and smiled shyly.
My dad, who was standing nearby, kept his head down, sweeping the floor when Morn called Tee my boyfriend. It's not like that, Dad Moo.
"This close, don't lie, you could've walked back yourself." I said, exasperated.
Tee laughed at me, looking at me with pleading eyes.
"Still drinking pomegranate juice?" He asked with a grin.
"Don't like it, let someone else have it." I repeated his phrase back to him. Tee looked at me, Ning-like, as if thinking something, then gave a slight smile.
"Mad?"
I was surprised he remembered his own phrase.
But I was even more surprised when Tee realized I was sulking at him.
"Why the hell would I be mad!"
"Hia, we are going to go inside first, want some porridge?" Morn held up a cup of porridge, "I saw you were going to make porridge this morning, right? Come on in." my brother pulled my arm to go inside.
"I'm sleepy, Morn, so send the guests off, I'm going to sleep, close the house doors too."
"I will have my boyfriend tutor me in homework first, Gord will sleep here tonight."
Gord nodded at me, saying it's quite nice.
I went up to my room, took off my shirt, put on comfortable soccer shorts as usual, turned off the light, and flopped onto the bed.
I grabbed the condom I once got from Tee, who cheekily bought it at 7-Eleven that day, from the drawer under the bedside table, opened the box, and took out one packet to look at.
I lay there looking at the condom and thinking about everything that happened. I wasn't planning on doing what I usually do every night before bed because I was drunk. I was tired, and sleepy, so I just left it on the bedside table.
I picked up my phone to set an alarm for 7 AM. It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep.
"Aaaah!"
Gord's scream echoed from Morn's room.
What the hell are they doing so late, scaring everyone? I was half-asleep on the bed, the ceiling light was on, and it hurt my eyes. I slowly raised my arm to cover them.
I had no idea what time it was. I rubbed my eyes gently, trying to focus on the scene in front of me. The image gradually became clearer.
!!!
Someone!!! Was wearing my white towel!!!
The fresh skin and wet hair told me this person had just taken a shower. Oh no!! That guy!!
Don't tell me he's planning to sleep in my room tonight!!!