[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Chapter 16:
[Nubsib POV]
'Hey, I will come back home often, don't look upset.'
‘...’
Tonight, I come to sleep over at your place, Sib.’
'...'
So come, let's kiss each other's cheeks.
The image in front of me was of a cute little boy in a denim overalls looking so adorable that I almost forgot to breathe. On the other side, a soft voice tried to speak, his big round eyes staring this way. At that moment a hand moved forward, intending to hug that figure close in his arms, but couldn't.
I knew well that the person smiling and inclining his face forward to offer a kiss was not me at this moment, but me from fourteen years ago.
I opened and raised my eyes again. What I saw was not the adorable face of the person in my memories, but the ceiling of the wooden house, and a thin layer hanging from it. Without spending any time, I clearly remembered that at this moment, I was in Gene’s hometown. My eyebrows wrinkled slightly, turning my head to the side, but I didn't see anyone.
The pillow and blanket were still in their original condition... Where is Gene?
I got up from the bed immediately, feeling a bit dizzy. I intended to take a short rest, but when I looked out the window, I saw that there was no sun.
Pushing open the door gently, as expected when I saw Gene curled up on the small sofa even though the bed was left next to it empty, my heart had to hold my breath. I moved closer and carried his body into the bedroom.
“Um...”
I got into the blanket, pulling the other end that the room's owner had pulled to hug instantly as soon as his back touched the bed, pulling the white arm around my waist instead.
Seeing the tired face and the slightly darkened edges, it made me feel worse, but the small smile and the sleeping posture seemed comfortable. Leaning a soft cheek against my chest, I smiled back.
Looking at the person in front with admiration.
I hugged the other person tightly. Sleeping like this for the first time made me feel love until my heart trembled. I thought I wanted to hug him tighter than this, to hug so tight that he sinks into my chest, to match the many years of just looking at him from afar. But the other desire, like how I wanted to caress him, I did not want to make him angry or dissatisfied. Finally, I stopped myself from kissing the cute lips and changed it to just smelling cheeks gently and successfully.
I moved the corner of my lips following the smile, before lowering to the jawline, burying my face on the neck joint. My nose touched the cool scent of faint soap still clinging to the skin. Once I knew Gene was right here, I exhaled a soft breath.
The image of Gene's face contorted with anger in the previous incident appeared in my mind once again. Seeing the sad expression on the other party's face seemed to squeeze my heart, even though I had already thought about many things beforehand. But there was a moment when I thought, what if Gene didn't understand and refused to see my face again, how would that be? Just that thought made my hand tremble.
The arm supporting the other party's sleeping head moved, wrists grazing lightly against the back of the soft hair as they gently slid their hand into the soft strands, the slow movement a comfort to the other, until a faint sound rustled in the quiet.
I lay gazing at the small face frame, seemingly larger than life, perhaps feeling at ease touching the other's presence. Placing the tip of my nose on the smaller person's cheek, finding a suitable position for myself, then slowly closing my eyes.
The first time I met Gene, I was five or six years old...
Suddenly... someone appeared, peeking their head out from the opposite side of the high wall.
The other party had a cute face, cheeks and eyes softly meeting mine as I sat below, widening their eyes in surprise.
“Phii Jeb, the house next door has a kid.”
“Gene, come down! How did you climb the neighbor's wall?”
“Hey kids, come play with me. Want to play some soccer?”
“Gene!!! If you don't come down, I'll tell mom!”
What did I do then... I don't remember if I said anything back. After recovering from the shock, I got up and ran away, since my mom always said not to talk to strangers.
But I was even more shocked when suddenly the other party jumped in front, moving from the high fence to a nearby tree branch, swiftly and stealthily leaping onto the ground close to my home.
Although the other party was much taller than me at that time, their lively and cheerful posture resembled a little hamster.
My parents never let me climb trees. While looking bewildered, the other party grabbed my arm and led me towards the gate of the big fence, sneaking outside together, running and playing in the village garden for hours.
That evening when my mom found out, I was scolded heavily. I still remember the picture of Gene running up to hug me and saying he wanted to play with me with a wide smile, as my mom looked on, it was like Gene knew how to make an adult fall in love.
Having the opportunity to make him look at me like me that way is good sometimes...
Thinking about it, I reached out to gently stroke the soft, sleepy cheeks of the person who was still sound asleep, hearing the sound of a small yawn and seeing a slightly bewildered face.
After dozing off next to the person in bed once again, I forgot to wake up, and it was already six o'clock in the evening.
“Gene.”
“Ugh...”
“You can wake up now. You won't be able to sleep tonight.”
The other person remained quiet, probably feeling exhausted. In the end, I mustered the courage to wake him up, but he didn't respond, so I retreated a bit and covered Gene with a blanket to keep him warm in the relatively cold weather.
Stepping outside, I felt even colder than inside the house. The window was left open, and I wrinkled my nose slightly when I caught a whiff of the smell of burning incense. I opened my jacket to let the wind pass. As I closed the window, I grabbed the car keys and went outside. Apart from the small fire near the tree, there was another fire, a bit further away, making it quite dark in some areas.
My car had been parked behind a big tree for the past two days.
After Gene drove out of the condo, besides feeling upset, I was also worried to the point of anxiety. No matter how safe he might be, I couldn't trust it if he wasn't in my sight. I had a sense that if he didn't return to his family home, he must be here.
I knew that Gene liked working on his own projects at a house in the suburban area, but I wasn't sure of the exact location. After calling Aunt Ran she had someone bring a car to pick me up and drove me here.
I wanted to hug him tightly, apologize, make him not angry anymore, and make him smile because I knew Gene's nature was good. If I didn't want things to escalate, I had to wait until the other party cooled down.
I could only talk without seeing the familiar face anymore.
I opened my phone. While unlocking and opening the side mirror to take out the spare shirt I had stored in the compartment, I was glad to have two or three reserves. Even if Gene wanted to stay here for several more nights, there would be no problem.
As I closed the side mirror, my hand holding the phone trembled.
[Hello, Ai'Sib? How are you? Have you two talked to each other yet?]
“Yes.”
[Is Ai'Gene not angry anymore?] Phii Tum's voice sounded somewhat happy. I took a deep breath lightly.
“Gene is not angry at you, don't worry.”
[I'm not worried for you, I'm the one who took you to stay in his room!] The end of the line was screaming.
I took a deep breath, since the day Gene drove out of the room. Even though I wasn't in the mood, I had to attend to the filming as usual and needed to contact the manager. When he found out that Gene and I were not at the condo, it became known that Phii Tum also knew the situation. Phii Tum's nature was known to me, although he seemed somewhat wary of me, but sometimes he didn't care at all.
On the other hand, being yelled at by the other party, although it was not worth listening to, but looking from another perspective, it was good that Gene had friends who cared so much...
[Tell me the truth, the day that Ai'Gene asked you to go pick souvenirs, you probably knew, didn't you, that he would be going back home. Why did you not do something to prevent him from going back...]
“...”
[Did you intentionally let Ai'Gene go back?]
I did not answer anything
[Is that so? I've known you for a year, and I still don't understand your thought process.]
“I don't see the need to explain. Just know that I love Gene and that's enough.”
[Well, some embarrassment is fine, you're just...]
“...”
[Wait a minute. I'll tell Ai’Gene that I've been fooled by you just the same. I mean, normally you don't really come back to sleep at the modeling building. Just when my sister said she needed the room for someone she was recruiting, you quickly said she would use it too, and then the casting for this series, too. Before this, we agreed to only accept jobs for magazines that you wanted and you agreed to the casting because you knew it was Ai’Gene's work.]
“...”
I walked over to open the car door, stooping to retrieve my personal belongings from the storage compartment.
[Are you listening to me? Hello!? If you're not listening... you little brat! I hope Ai'Gene doesn't reciprocate your love.]
“Huh?”
[Nothing!]
“...”
[I only just realized a few days ago that you liked Ai'Gene, but I just found out that you've liked him for a long time, until now. Mental illness.]
My hand paused for a moment
Mental illness...? I mimicked the words of the manager and just smiled a little.
I have never had this feeling for anyone other than Gene. It's an accumulation of feelings that I've had since I was a child, and I hold onto everything with this person. As I grew up, I became more and more confident in my love for Gene, to the point where I've tried everything to get closer to the other party. Many years have passed, just looking through photos and listening to other people's stories has been enough for me.
I know everything about Gene, but Gene, who is the type to live in the present moment, might not remember me, which isn't surprising...
[Hey! Why so quiet? Are you angry? I'm just kidding around.]
I raised my eyebrows, “No, just thinking a bit.”
[Damn it... Forget it. There's no filming tomorrow, so you won't have to come and go.]
“Okay.”
[Have you gone to bed yet? You look worse than usual. If you don't take care of yourself, I'll have to slap some makeup on you and say I didn't take care of you properly.]
“Don't worry, I'm fine now.”
[Alright then, take care of yourself and my friend. I'm going to have dinner now.]
After hanging up the phone, one hand holding clothes while the other shone a flashlight from the phone along the grassy, thorny path back to the wooden house. As I lifted my head to climb the stairs, I saw a familiar figure wearing a robe standing in front of the busy door.
Cute...
I smiled, “Are you awake?”
“Where have you been?”
The hand holding the clothes gestured for me to look, “Take the clothes.”
The petite face remained taut, eyebrows furrowed tightly together, “It's dark outside, dangerous to go out alone. There are many people working in the garden on the other side. It's risky.”
"Are you worried?"
When asked like this, the listener became quiet, with round eyes staring at me as if trying to look in all directions. Finally, he turned abruptly and walked into the house. I caught a glimpse of his side profile with flushed cheeks, and I thought I wanted to tease him a little more. Just as I was thinking about what to do to make it clear, his head popped out of the door frame once again.
"What are you doing standing there? Come in quickly."
"..."
I didn't respond to anything other than walking into the house. I just knew that the other party was worried, and in my heart, a great sense of warmth overwhelmed me.
"Since when have you been standing here?"
"Since I heard the sound of the door opening faintly and when I went out to look, I didn't see you. Did you take me to bed in the room?"
I laid the clothes I had picked up on the sofa, answering the questions smoothly. "Yes, I did. The weather is cool around here, so sleeping together will be warmer."
Gene's mouth hung open, as if wanting to say something, but then seemed to realize that he would be more embarrassed if he answered himself, so he just pursed his lips.
“Are you hungry now?”
“Um...how about you?”
“If you are hungry, we can eat. What would you like to eat?”
“The old rice shop around here is closed. If you want to buy food, we have to drive out.” As he said this, his dark tinted eyes moved up and down, as if thinking, “We can go out, there's a small market nearby. You can also buy some towels.”
“Will Khun Gene be footing the bill for me?”
“You're playing around holding clothes like this. I told you to go back already, are you going to go back?”
I smiled at the other side, looking innocently. When I straightforwardly said that he was cute, the person quickly changed the subject and said he was going to wash his face. Then he walked into the room and came out again soon after. The small face was still with black-framed glasses on, probably thinking that he wouldn't be gone for long, so he didn't do much.
With dark eyes that seemed to be penetrating, Gene looked at me without saying anything as we walked out of the house. I understood implicitly that Gene would let me be the one to drive.
The spot where I parked the car was quite dark. As I reached the top of the stairs, I hesitantly reached out my hand to hold the hand of the person next to me. I could feel a momentary surprise in his reaction, but then he relaxed.
Seeing Gene not pulling his hand away or resisting, my smile seemed even more satisfied than before.
“Is this your car?”
“Yes.”
Hearing this, the person next to me seemed slightly surprised, with a soft sigh, “I see. When you came to pick me up at the hotel, you brought your own car.”
I didn't say anything. I gently held the hand of another person and led them to the seat next to the driver. After closing the door smoothly, we all got in.
“Tell me the way, please.”
“Uh, just go straight ahead, there's a school and a village... I'll tell you again in a bit.”
I nodded.
The road was quite empty, mainly used for traveling between provinces. The sides of the road were dense forests. At some points, there were stalls selling goods, with small orange lights and large handwritten signs calling for customers. Eventually, Gene pointed to turn left into a large market.
It was a moderately-sized market where vendors gathered to sell their goods in the late afternoon. Across the street was a primary and secondary school. A little further down were restaurants and a Seven Eleven. People were bustling around as usual.
“New Aston Martin Vantage and the outdoor market... you should lock your car well.”
...It didn't seem like Gene's issue with me having a car was going to go away easily.
“If it goes missing, I'll carry you back myself.”
“I have legs.” the other person said humorously, “Want to sit here and eat or do you want me to buy something for you to take back?”
“I can eat here.”
“What do you want to eat? Red pork noodles?”
I chuckled softly. Gene was still the same Gene that I found adorable. Whatever was in his heart, I could sense that Gene wanted to rely on me and wanted me to follow his lead, whether consciously or not.
“What do you want?”
After sitting at a red covered folding table with a vinyl sign advertising coke, the other side asked as if they were the ones in charge, inviting me to think about it. I hesitated for a moment, but Aey then took over, “Order for me as well.”
“Um, fried pork noodles, no dumplings and special noodles for my little brother.” I swept my eyes along the menu underneath the cart for a moment, then raised my hand and shouted to the seller who was preparing noodles in front of the stove.
Upon hearing this, my eyebrows raised in surprise.
“...”
“If you make that face while looking at me, what do you mean? Don't you like noodles?”
“My little brother?”
The person in front blinked and squinted, “Oh, why, you're the one who's my little brother.”
I raised an eyebrow slightly, but still smiled, “I already told you that I don't want to be your little brother.”
“Oh, if you're not my little brother then what should I call you?”
“No need to ask...”
“...”
“Husband, of course.”
“Husband your left nut!”
At this point, I couldn't help but laugh at the sentence that came out unexpectedly. I saw the person in front looking left and right as if afraid that someone else would hear, “You're five years younger than me. Calling me little brother is appropriate.”
Looking at the cute raised fingers with numbers on them, I felt like reaching out to grab them and play.
“Whether it's appropriate or not, if you call me that again, I'll kiss you.”
“Kiss?”
“Yes.”
At this point, the round-eyed gaze looked even bigger, “You don't dare, do you?”
“Then try calling me.”
“Nong Sib.”
I raised my hand quickly, but before I could reach out to grab the fair hand of the person sitting opposite me to pull it towards me to use my own lips, a hot bowl of noodles was placed on the table first, brought by the chubby figure of the seller. When she saw us, her voice rang out quite loudly.
“What are you arguing about, boys? The most delicious noodles in the world are here.”
I became slightly still. As for Gene, who was looking at my movements, also relaxed, as if he wanted to take it back. The soft lips were now smiling again.
“My little brother is stubborn, Auntie. Always arguing.”
“...”
“But sometimes, as the older sibling, you have to give in a little. Older brothers should know how to sacrifice, do you understand?”
This time, I smiled slightly, and when the stern look on Gene's face turned into a softer one.
“But sometimes when kids are stubborn, we have to scold them, right?”
“Scolding is fine, but it has to be within reason. He is your little brother, after all. If he gets bored of you in the future and you don't say anything to him, that would be a problem.”
“Auntie, my little brother's behavior...”
“Good or bad, you still have to guide him the right way. Whether he's good or bad, you have to discipline him properly. If you keep arguing like this, being a little brother will...”
“It's okay, auntie. I am his husband, not his real younger brother.” I smiled slightly at the corner of my mouth, solving the problem with a calm voice. I picked up the wooden chopstick in the basket, handed it to one person in front of me, and another pair on my own plate. Suddenly, the person sitting across from me raised his voice sharply and called out my name. I raised my eyebrows and looked at him.
“Nubsib!”
“What's up?”
Gene looked back at the seller's aunt who was walking away, then turned back, glaring at me and said, “Stop talking about husband and wife. Before I stab you with a fork.” The intimidating man tried to look scary but ended up looking cute, “We are not dating or anything. Why did you say that? Others will misunderstand.”
“It's not a mistake. Just consider it settled.”
“Are you so sure?”
“Khun Gene, you already said you like me. Just accept it.”
“...”
“You go take a shower, the clothes are bought, I will turn on the computer for a bit.”
When I got home, the smaller figure pointed towards the room, handed me a bag of food and fresh vegetables from their hands and walked towards the kitchen.
“Will you continue working on your novel?”
“No, I am checking what I typed at noon.”
I sighed. After helping the other person put things in the refrigerator neatly, I took the new towel and went to take care of myself in the bathroom. When I found everything in order, I came back out and saw a familiar figure sitting on the couch, a laptop that moved from the round table near the window to a small table, focused and intent, unaware that I was nearby.
In the midst of dedication, I didn't notice anything around me to worry about...
I walked slowly and sat down, even sitting still until I felt the temperature between us and still didn't feel anything.
“...Sib?”
“...”
“What are you sitting here for? Go to bed inside.”
Almost a full hour later, as the questioning voice became louder, looking up from the phone, I saw the small worried face of the person beside me.
I smiled slightly, “Waiting for you, Khun Gene.”
“Why wait...” the other side grumbled, but also closed the laptop and stood up. At that moment, he pulled my arm to make me stand up, “I'm going to take a shower. I'll turn off the lights outside.”
“Yes.”
The orange light outside dimmed, the atmosphere dark and somewhat frightening compared to the daytime, but also comfortable and quiet.
Initially, I thought Gene would let me sleep alone on the small sofa outside, but it turned out differently when he rushed me to go into the bedroom together.
Kind and lovely to the point that I felt afraid of my own heart...
“Turn off the lights.”
After walking out of the bathroom smelling of soap, my white hands stopped the blanket and climbed into bed on the other side. Even though the bed was not king-size, it was wide enough to leave a space in the middle for us to sleep on it together.
“No moving towards the middle. If you accidentally touch it, the bed will creak as if nothing happened.”
It seems like Gene noticed my hesitation, even though Aey threatened, my face still looked sad and confused.
“Can't we hug each other?”
“If you move closer, I will tell Aunt Orn.”
With just that, the switch on the headboard was immediately turned off from the outside, everything became quiet instantly. The light from the outside almost disappeared. After a while, my eyes started to adjust to the darkness. I could see everything faintly from the moonlight coming through the thin curtains, casting a scary shadow on the elongated mirror, but I didn't care.
“Sib.”
“...Yeah.”
“Today, during the midday nap, I recalled something about you when we were children.”
My eyebrows raised slightly, “...”
“Actually, I can't remember much. It's been many years now, but I remember one thing from that time when you were mad at me...”
Listening to Gene's voice, Aey's story about our childhood, I smiled along.
“You used to think Aunt Orn loved me more, so you didn't let me stay overnight in your room. So childish.”
“Is that so?”
“What is it that you can't remember?”
“I remember the time when you, Khun Gene said you wanted to marry me and come home with me.”
“Oh?” The listener's mouth opened in surprise, “When, I don't remember.”
“You didn't remember?”
“The one I don't remember is because it didn't happen.”
“It did, Khun Gene, you said when I grow up, you would marry me.
“When I first met you, I was already in fifth grade, not knowing anything, saying nonsense.”
“Can I kiss you?”
“Huh!?”
“Right now.”
While the other party looked confused and unable to keep up, I moved closer. I reached out and grabbed one hand that was resting on a clean piece of cloth. I could feel it was slightly cold from the air, so I gently rubbed and warmed it with the heat from my own hand, finally intertwining our fingers. I leaned in closer to a small face, knowing that every time he smiled and looked into my eyes like this, it would make people think of something else. I brushed the edge of my lips against the soft lips of the person below.
Even though Gene is here, if he is not all mine yet, I still feel uneasy...
Chapter 17:
[So to be clear, you're not really mad at me, right?]
“Um, not mad.”
[Really though?]
“Um.”
[Really though?]
“Really.”
[Um... hearing that, I felt relieved as I had said it before, I'm not apologizing, I know his family is wealthy, but I don't know if it has many condos or other luxurious accommodations they own. Apart from the hotel business, Nubsib’s family also has a real estate company, so I thought they owned a building.] The explanation continued without stopping, the voice fluctuating between heavy-heartedness and annoyance [I never talked to anyone from their family, I only met their older brother once.]
“Um.” I replied.
[I guess he was secretly talking to my sis, so she even came to tell me that the apartment we rent for idols is full. That little shit.]
“Shit.” I saw Ai'Tum on the screen sitting at the table and still looking stunned [There! See, I told you!.]
Seeing its posture, which seemed almost as if finally I wouldn't be able to dodge it, Ai'Tum was still as fierce as before. He was tricked by Nubsib into becoming a sheep herder herding a wolf in sheep clothing and now I realize that it's not what I thought it was, so now I can't take it back... I think, I got what I deserved, otherwise it would be too easy for me to get un-angry
Today I woke up early with a cheerful mood, a usual occurrence for a well-rested person. After Nubsib stayed here for another two days, I still insisted on not going to the apartment and using the time my mind was clear to work smoothly, print novels as much as possible. The phone, which had been turned off for a long time, was now turned on but still not connected to the internet.
Then today, Ai'Tum contacted me again. After they called me yesterday while I was concentrating in front of the computer and not available to talk, he asked me to connect to the internet and video call so he could vent about Nubsib.
...Actually, I told him before that I'm not mad about anything, but it seems like he's still worried.
[But damn, this mess is really like a novel plot, he liked you since you two were kids, you should try writing it, but be careful the rating won't be good, because your protagonist is a bad kid and too cunning.]
“The queue plot is full, hey”
[And you... do you still accept my junior’s love?]
“...”
[...still, do you not like him?]
“...”
[Hey! Don't look away and escape. Why are you embarrassed?] The voice passed gently through the speakers, but I still looked up at the camera above the ceiling where I was sitting, [If you like him, just accept it. I won't force you.]
“I don't know.”
[Don't know or don't want to answer?]
“...”
[Don't tease my kid.]
“Tease what? Your kid lied to me before.”
[Oh! Not answering means you know the answer, but this is good, I'll leave Nubsib temperament in your hands.]
“What temperament?”
[Do you want him back like this? Or are you afraid of being lied to again? Watch his behavior?]
“...”
[Oh, no need to answer. I understand your answer, but this way is good, I'll leave you to handle his behavior.]
I picked up my phone and looked at the screen again because I wanted to see the face of the person speaking…
“What behavior?”
[Let him know that even though he lied because he wanted to be with you, lying to others is lying...!.]
“Khun Gene.”
I was talking to Ai'Tum in a chair by the balcony, when suddenly a familiar muffled voice came from behind. I turned, and saw that Nubsib had returned. On the other side, a student in casual clothes was standing holding the door frame, his lower face masked, making it difficult to see if he was smiling.
I only saw his dark eyebrows move up, “What are you doing, talking to Phii Tum?”
“Oh! Um...”
“Is he annoying you? Put it down and come eat.”
[Ai'Sib, you jerk!.] The still connected line to Ai'Tum allowed me to hear clearly [Just finished the shift before this, I'm going back to find my friends quickly.]
Nubsib looked around before turning to me and gently touched my hair, “Are you hungry? I bought food on the way back so we don't have to go out in the middle of the night.”
Being asked this made me suddenly feel hungry.
“Um.” I quickly turned to my phone screen before saying, “Ai'Tum, I'll go get something to eat. Let's talk later.”
[Okay, when will you come back to Bangkok?]
“I'll be back soon.”
I pressed the end call button. As I stood up, Nubsib reached out and grabbed my hand immediately, closing the door behind us. At first, I wasn't sure, but later I felt that Ai'Tum's kid was starting to act up more and more.
Sure, I pursued, but it seemed like the more I pursued, the more the other side would talk until I couldn't find a reason to keep pursuing. It's confusing.
“I bought chicken rice. Khun Gene, do you like it from this shop?”
“How did you know that I like this shop?”
“If it's you Khun Gene, I know everything.”
“...”
I blinked a little at the person speaking, but didn't interrupt, guessing it might be the boss or someone like that.
Nubsib didn't know how to ask either. He had previously said he went to ask about this suburban wooden house from my mother, and I didn't ask for more details, but I noticed that my mom didn't call me about Nubsib, which meant that this mischievous kid might be using his own ways of talking, asking about me without letting my mom know we were together before.
I sat down, pulled out the foam box and put it in front of me before spooning the rice into my mouth.
“Aren't you eating?”
“I ate during lunch break at school.”
“Oh!”
I listened carefully as I chewed, glancing at the person sitting across from me. I saw Nubsib looking somewhat embarrassed before lifting the glass of water to his lips. It seemed like he was having a hard time swallowing, “Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Won't it be better for you to go home?”
“...”
Seeing Nubsib stay still in silence, I was afraid of misunderstanding, so I quickly said, “You don't like the smell of pawpaw trees. It's better to go home rather than come here every morning and evening with that smell.”
“There's nothing wrong here.”
“You'll use that as an excuse to sleep attached to me again.”
“People call it hugging.”
“If there's another one hand hugging me tonight, I'll kick your ass.”
This house only had one room, and even though I knew I wouldn't give in even if he spoke out and that I would chase Number Eighteen out of this room, there was no way I would let him sleep in the living room. The living room didn't have air conditioning, and it was still cold late in the night, so I had to let Nubsib sleep with me. Normally I wake up before the other person. So, I didn't know what happened, but when I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, I just realized that Nubsib was cuddling me, with his face and nose pressed against my hair.
I thought I was being attacked by a ghost, and pushed him away. He said sorry with a pitiful voice, so I felt sorry for him and just wanted to continue sleeping, so I closed my eyes and lied down, thinking about the difficult morning that followed when I woke up and found that it was the same as before...
I never thought that Nubsib would do this trickery or secretly do something untowards. If he wants to do it, he would have done it a long time ago (It's just me who got drunk and grabbed his crotch) Nubsib doesn't dare. If he did I will tell Aunt Orn, this guy will be prepared to face his mother scolding just like in the old days!
“Why are you making such a cute face?”
Nubsib found the image that I had in my scattered mind, with a bright smile shining on the corner of his lips.
“Nothing.”
“...”
The person listening shifts his sharp eyes along the lines of my face, stopping still at the edge of my lips, slightly parted. I lift a glass of water to my lips, slightly trembling.
This kid seems to be excited.
“You have to go film at the university today. Why stay here and cause yourself a chaotic day schedule?”
“It's not chaotic. As long as you Khun Gene is here, I'm here too. That's all.”
“Then let's go back tomorrow.”
As soon as Nubsib's expression changed to confusion, I continued, “I have an appointment to talk to Phii Bok today. Just so you know...”
“Okay, whatever you want.”
“But... if you go back and it's not like I want you to stay at the condo.”
The reason I let Nubsib stay with me at first was because I understood that he had nowhere else to go, but now I know that's not the case, so it's appropriate for him to move out. Even though he said he likes me, I haven't given him an answer yet, so having us live together like this is strange… Also, when I talked to Aunt Orn before, I mentioned not knowing where his son was staying. Some days she would secretly visit and not find him in his room, so she worried.
“You can go back to your own room now.”
Upon hearing that, Nubsib fell silent for a moment. Then he stopped asking, “Why are you trying to get rid of me again?”
“I'm not trying to get rid of you. If you don't go back, Aunt Orn will worry.”
“If I tell her I'm staying with you, there shouldn't be a problem.”
“No, you can't tell her. Just go back to your own room. Your room is spacious and has a private pool.”
“Okay, then you can move to my room.”
“That's not possible.”
“Um...” Nubsib cleared his throat softly, as if he felt a slight heaviness in his heart that I wouldn't agree to his request.
“Didn't you say before that you wouldn't wait until I believed you?”
As I spoke like this, the audience remained silent for almost a minute. Observing Nubsib's facial expression, I saw him take a shallow breath.
“Do you know...”
“...”
“I don't want to stay away from you at all.”
“Um...”
“...”
“Well then, be a good kid and make me believe quickly.”
“Yes.”
“...”
“Until then, give me a tight hug and tell me loudly that you like me, okay?”
I looked at the faint smile that curved his lips.
“Hmm.”
…
We returned to the room the next morning.
I drove my own sedan, because we had separate cars. Nubsib had to drive his own Aston Martin Vantage, which was also very expensive. When we got back, I didn't rush to ask him to pack up and leave, because there was a morning class at eight. I just told him to help me take it off later in the evening.
The past four days haven't seen much change. Ai'Hin and the publishing house are still busy with the project. As for the filming unit, they're still shooting. Ai'Tum mentioned that there's nothing special happening, except for a small event scheduled for next week where they will announce the launch of a new series.
Also... the second story is at most 80% done, so I started publishing it on the website yesterday and have to continue today.
As I mentioned before, I don't have any social media pages for people to follow, but after some of my fanfiction followers on Twitter found out which IG account belonged to me, they started following this instead. Now, the number of followers has almost reached four digits. Everyone knows that I am the writer, so I put on a bold front. I sit down at my desk with my laptop, coffee cup, and small pot of flowers, then I type a post about my new novel.
_nayma: Phii Gene, I'm going to read it now. Post a picture of yourself too, I want to see.
zBlingky: Phii Gene, tell Nubsib to go on a LIVE. I miss him, he's been gone for several days.
Ter044: The teaser is so intriguing, can't wait for the series to air.
JaYCC: Phii Gene, are you attending the Paragon series launch event? Are you going with Nong Sib, can I have a couple's photo with you?
nubsib.t: I'm going to read it now.
Among the comments, there are about three agents interested in my new novel. I wanted to type and say I have no idea what Nubsib IG handle was, but after seeing the latest comments that just popped up, I do.
Feeling a warm flush rising to my cheeks...[I'm.] writing a BL novel, why is this guy commenting like that, making it look embarrassing.
[Reply.] Gene 1418: Focus on studying.
I typed only that before pressing to exit the app and shut down the laptop. And then I turned my attention back to the phone, watching a series in English about psychology and users with special powers. I sat and watched almost until the end of season one, then got up to wash my face, wash my eyes, and bought a small boxed meal to eat a little before continuing to watch, feeling a bit tipsy. It was when my right cheek was pressed by something soft until it made a loud sound.
Smooch!
...I turned to see a familiar handsome face leaning down to sit close.
“Nubsib!”
My phone almost fell to the ground as I recoiled, my eyes sending a message of surprise, because I was too loud and too focused. This kid unlocked the door and walked in, but I didn't realize.
“Have you eaten yet?”
I almost ran even though I replied softly, “Yes.”
“Cute.”
“...”
What does this guy want from me? Answer me.
“And how about you, have you eaten?”
“Dit it at noon.”
“Tired?”
Nubsib stopped raising his eyebrows. His mouth, which had a small smile, seemed to widen more as he tilted his head.
“Then get your bags. I'll help you pack.”
This time, the person in front wiped away the smile, bringing his hand to pull my cheek to the left and then to the right, “In such a hurry to kick me out, huh?”
“Wherever you are, I see that you are free and not in a hurry. It is dangerous for you to drive at night.”
“Well, you seem to care.”
The thick hand moved to pull my hand up and led me straight to his room. Since the first day I came in to help clean up, he had never allowed me in again.
Nubsib's room was not messy at all. He had things, but what was not messy was that it seemed like he had a habit of using and then putting back in the same place, not decorating anything but by putting things in the same place it looked organized. I swept my eyes around, interested, and could smell the cool, soft scent everywhere. It smelled good, so I absentmindedly took a deep breath, wondering if it was from the air freshener or something.
Suddenly feeling myself, I turned to look at the person standing in front next to me, feeling a warm flush. Nubsib had been smiling in the corner of the room for a long time.
“Uh... hey, where's the bag? Let me help you pack.”
“In the closet.”
Nubsib took out a big travel bag, so I walked to the other side of the wardrobe and opened it. There were clothes that suited Nubsib's style packed full in the wardrobe, each piece was from a high-end brand. I carefully pulled out each piece to fold, feeling that it was special. I turned to look in curiosity, but then Nubsib distracted me when he stood close to the mirror looking absent-minded.
“Nubsib, what are you doing? Come I will help you pack.”
“No need to rush.”
“When will you be ready then?”
As I was saying, Nubsib awkwardly cleared his throat, then reluctantly walked to the wardrobe. But instead of doing what I thought he would, he circled around the travel bag and pulled me into an embrace, holding me tightly, because the action was so sudden that I couldn't react in time. When I leaned in awkwardly, the strong chest and firm stomach of the other side pushed me down with full force.
It seemed like Nubsib wasn't really focused on hugging. Our bodies fell onto the bed simultaneously.
“Sib, what are you doing?”
I lay half on top of the other, but then remembered that the expensive shirt of this kid had fallen to the floor. As I turned, one of my legs stepped on it, crushing it, “Oops, your shirt fell, I stepped on it.”
“It's okay.”
“It costs quite a lot to get a new one, I can just wash...”
Before I could finish speaking, Nubsib grabbed my wrist and used his strength to flip himself over, pinning me down in place instead. I was dragged here and there, feeling dizzy. I could feel the tall figure leaving his face pressed against the corner of my neck, almost making it hard for me to breathe properly.
“You...”
I heard him take a deep breath, the warm breath hitting my skin, making my hair stand on end.
“Can't we stay together for real?”
“...”
“I want to be with you, Gene.”
“I'm... not now, it's not right. Let's wait, because the situation isn’t right.” I almost tenderly responded to what should not have been responded to.
Nubsib lifted his head slightly, our eyes met, locking into each other. Looking into his dark familiar eyes, it felt like a whirlwind was brewing, causing turbulence.
“I don't want to think about it.”
“...”
“If I'm not around, do you not think of me?”
“No.”
“Stubborn.” a smile at the corner of the mouth and a knowing look made my face feel a bit warmer
“Well... what can I do, if I miss you, I'll text you, that's all”
“It’s not the same as seeing in person.” When he spoke like this, Nubsib leaned his face closer, his cheek touching mine. With almost a whisper, he spoke.
“I can’t kiss you.”
“...”
This brat!
“So you can come here, I didn’t stop you. You know I’m always in my room. You can come whenever you want.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes”
“Just say it”
If
“…”
When asked a secretive question like this, I felt a surge of unease. With a slightly furrowed brow, I glanced towards Nubsib. Ever since I knew he was a mischievous kid, I felt that I had to use my brain to keep up with whatever conversations we had. But when I concluded that there was probably nothing to worry about, it became a lot easier for me.
“You know the code, knock on my door and we’ll see each other.” I said.
“Is that enough?”
…but whether I open or not is another thing.
“Well, I can't do anything else.”
I narrowed my eyes at the gesture that seemed to be done out of obligation by Nubsib. It made me want to give him a light tap or two, but all I did was place my hand on his thick shoulder and push him away slightly.
Nubsib agreed easily. After telling him to quickly pack up, he eventually agreed to help. It was a good thing that his belongings weren't many. He stuffed everything into a large bag and added some personal items that he had bought afterwards. I had to go and grab my small bag of belongings to lend to him first.
After sweeping my gaze around the room that Nubsib used to stay in for over an hour, there was nothing left. In the end, I decided to close the door gently.
“My key and spare card?”
Nubsib, who was standing close to the door, looked at my outstretched hand
He reached into his leather wallet and took out a white card. He handed it to me, followed by the room key. When I received them, I didn't say anything. I went downstairs to send him to his care, Ashton Martin.
“When you've arrived at your condo, let me know.”
“Yes.”
“Drive well.”
“Yes.”
“You have my LINE.”
“Khun Gene.”
“Hmm?”
“I might change my mind and not go after all.”
I paused for a moment, the hand that had been touching the driver's side door released, “Okay, go then. See you later.”
“Okay, see you later.”
The luxury car slowly moved away from the parking spot. I stood there, walking towards the small door to the building on the side. I watched as the car gradually turned and disappeared, then finally made the decision to turn and walk back up the stairs to the room.
When I closed the door, the silence that surrounded me made me feel strange once again, even though there had been times before when Nubsib was not in the room. But this time it was different. Soon, Nubsib would be back, but this was not...I was sure there was someone in the room with me, not just Nubsib.
A light breath of air escaped my lips, but I tried not to think too much. I took a shower, changed into pajamas, went downstairs to buy a boxed meal to eat, then sat down to watch a series until the end of the second half of the season.
Nubsib incoming call
Ai'Tum’s bad kid called me on LINE.
I quickly pressed the lock button and immediately answered.
[Khun Gene...]
“I told you to Line me when you arrived. You're being too slow.”
Nubsib went quiet, as if he didn't realize he had been caught off guard. [Sorry, I was unpacking.]
“Are you done yet?”
[Yes.]
“Do you have class tomorrow?”
[Just one class.]
“Oh! Then go to bed.”
[I will do that later, I want to talk to you, Khun Gene.]
“...I'm watching a movie.”
[I'm reading a novel.]
“Hmph, why are you reading!”
As soon as I sighed, a faint chuckle could be heard at the end of the line, [I can't tell you...embarrassing?]
“I'm hanging up now.”
[...]
Click!
I looked at the orange glow of the lamp, curious about Number Eighteen’s expensive room.
“Hey, turn and let me look at the room.”
[Not now.]
My eyebrows furrowed immediately, “Why not?”
[You can come and see for yourself.]
“Just let me take a look now.”
[If I show you, then you won't come. Khun Gene, if you want to see then you can come to my room whenever you want.]
Hah, deceiving me, I'm smart now. Tell me first.
Even though I know that, I didn't refuse because I wanted to see it for real, “Okay, I'll go.”
Meanwhile, I picked up the iPad on the bedside table, flipped over to lie sideways hugging the pile of pillows with one arm. The other arm held the phone still in video call with Nubsib.
“What time is the shoot tomorrow?”
[Around two in the afternoon. Are you coming?]
“I have an appointment with Bak. I probably won't make it.”
[If you make it, come pick me up at the university.]
“New Aston Martin 218”
[...haha.] The other side laughed softly.
“Is that funny?”
When he saw my face, the smile at the corner of Nubsib's mouth on the screen lifted higher than before...
I woke up early at a little past seven.
Feeling confused and raising my hand while holding the phone to check, I saw that it was much later than the time I had set to wake up, but as I am someone who is always confused upon waking, I didn't stress about it.
My phone battery was at seven percent because I forgot to charge it after talking with the kid last night, so I had to grab the power bank and get ready. Last night, I had placed the phone somewhere and couldn't remember where, so I opened the LINE message to see the time and it said we talked for four hours. I must have fallen asleep while talking and Nubsib probably disconnected the call. I smiled when I saw the message he left on the opposite side, left for me to read.
nubsib: Goodnight
I sent back just a sticker, then went to take a shower, changed into a shirt, put on some accessories and left the room immediately. I didn't have breakfast because after talking to Phii Bok, the editor, Ai'Hin had set a date for us to eat together.
The publishing office building was quite far away. Seeing that the main road was congested in the morning, I decided to take the Tollway to save time. After a few minutes, I arrived.
“Gene, did you make plans with Sister Bok? You can go wait in Room Four.”
Arriving at the floor where they rented the publishing office, one of the office staff pointed out as they walked out to the garden.
“Thank you, Ai'Hin, that's it then.”
“The boss wants me to go to the printer for a bit, I'll be back soon.”
I frowned, as I had been here many times. Familiar with many people, I walked towards the room, turned on the lights and air conditioning, and sat down to read a book placed on the shelf, waiting for a while. Soon, the door was pushed open.
“Gene, sorry, I was caught up, have you eaten anything?”
“No, I will be meeting Ai'Hin soon.”
“Okay, then let's talk quickly so we can go eat.”
Phii Bok picked up the iPad and the original printed documents I had brought. Followed by the papers with red marks behind.
“I left the red marks there, we'll take this back to review later.”
“Okay, understood.”
“And... huh? Where is it? The scene that you said you improved in the writing. Why did you cut it off Gene?”
“Well... I thought it was a bit too much, Sister.”
“Too much what? It's been eight scenes since the old one. Keep writing, don't stray from the original intention. Writing well is not about cutting into pieces, just writing it.”
“Let me try to go back and take a look again.”
“Okay, that's it. If you're stuck anywhere, ask. Keep it as good as before, let the same person teach you the same way.”
“Sister, it's not... it's not... it's not... it's not.”
“Do you know? This is what makes us look like this.”
“...”
“Oh, and this. The boss asked me to bring it back. You can take it back.” Phii Bok picked up a thick cloth bag and placed it on the table. When it hit the table, there was a loud thud, as if it was heavier than it should be.
I thanked and opened the... and found it was another BL book again.
When Sister Bok had to go back to work, I, who was waiting for Ai'Hin to be free, picked up each book to read. It was the same translation work as usual, not from their own publishing house, but still revolving around the work of translating for Chinese and Japan BL as usual. What made my eyes widen was some doujinshi that came with two or three volumes. The covers were torn and tattered, depicting explicit scenes that made me feel embarrassed.
I waited for Ai'Hin for almost twenty minutes. The junior who I hadn't seen for weeks suddenly rushed in and slammed the door open, jumping to hug me and then latched onto me on the sofa.
“Phii Gene, I really miss you, take me to see Nubsib.”
“You miss me that much, yet you want to meet Sib, huh?”
“Definitely, you have to be there, let's go eat together.”
Not wanting to venture far, we chose an easy option of a pizza place across the street.
We ate and talked until full. When Ai'Hin saw that I wasn't in a hurry to leave, he invited me to sit and browse at the publisher's office shop, located on the first floor of the building. It was a reputable company among readers, and sometimes besides releasing their own works, they also had a bookstore selling both old and new books directly, at a cheaper price.
On the other side of the shop, there were tables and chairs set up for reading, and a large bookshelf with sample volumes to try out. In addition, you could also buy coffee and cakes from the nearby shop to enjoy while reading.
Seeing this, I sent money to Ai'Hin to buy something for us.
“So, are you going to work on the book project this time? Phii Bok invited you.”
“I haven't decided yet.”
“Really, Phii Bok might say something else again, you know? Are you going or not?”
“Not this time.”
“Oh, and the fans would like your autograph too.”
“...”
“We're here now, no need to be shy anymore. Let's go. They want to take a photo and interview you for the column.”
“Let's see.”
“Just one more look, if things go well in the future...”
“I'm sorry to bother you.”
Ai'Hin and I turned to look at the source of the voice together, and then we saw a petite girl with a shy smile on her face in a student uniform skirt standing alone.
“Phii Gene.”
My hand holding the cake spoon stopped in mid-air, “Yes?”
“Can you sign this for me, please?”
This time, I was even more confused. I placed the cake slice on the plate, but I could guess that she must be a fanfiction writer herself. While Ai'Hin, who was still unaware that there were some pictures of me floating around the internet, just sat with his mouth slightly open.
Meeting someone who greeted me like this made me a little embarrassed. I lowered my head a bit while telling her to send the documents that needed signing to me. On the other side, the cute girl was preparing a pen and handing me the paper that needed to be completed.
I was ready to write, but then my hand hesitated.
“Um... this?”
“A magazine?” Ai'Hin who had seen it seemed surprised.
Yes, the volume that she sent me wasn't a novel, but a famous fashion magazine. Furthermore, the opening page that requires my signature also featured Nubsib. Dressed super stylishly, the number eighteen written with a signature of the person himself on the lower right side.
“Wrong volume?”
“No, not wrong.” Seeing me puzzled, she blushed shyly. She pointed to the paper where it said, “Can you sign this for me, please? Sign right next to Nubsib's signature… here… here...”
“Um...”
Why do I have to sign beside Number Eighteen’s signature? This is not my book, after all.
Despite wanting to complain in my heart, in the end, when I saw her pleading face and heard her sweet voice, I couldn't resist and handed the magazine back while laughing. The joyful expression was clearly visible.
“Aww Phii Gene, you are so cute. I want to hold hands, but I'm too embarrassed. Thank you so much. I didn't bring the actual novel of yours today, but I always carry this magazine with me. I'll wait for the chance to have you sign the novel next time.”
I just smiled and nodded before turning to walk away, as I saw her waving her hand cutely. Thanking her again before distancing myself.
“Wait, wait! You two.” the person sitting across called out again.
“Yes?”
“How did you get Nubsib's autograph like that? I want one too!”
I was speechless with Ai'Hin, truly.
“Oh, I happened to run into him when I was going to see a friend at the mall. When I told Nubsib that I will ask Phii Gene to sign next to the place he signs, Nubsib agreed to sign as well.”
“...”
After she walked away, Ai'Hin grabbed my wrists and held them together, looking into my eyes intently.
“Phii Gene, please sign a magazine for me too.”
“No way!”