[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Chapter 21: The tail wags, the ears droop
The edges of the lips are the handles of Nan's cup, pressing against each other, as the slender fingers of the person sitting face-forward prod gently, cooling the warm flesh with a light purple hue starting to form along the neckline. It hurts!
The thin shirt on Nan was slowly lifted up, along with his gentle eyes that sought permission, and when Nan turned his face to reveal his white, taut skin, it appeared before the eyes...the marks outside were heavy while under the fabric shelter was called a bandage.
“You crazy dog!”
“I'm jealous...When you act crazy and jealous when it comes to me, we don't have much difference in our conditions.”
“Sip, are you saying I am crazy.” Nan grabbed the arm that was about to touch down on the teeth marks...Don't even ask Nan if there are any wounds. There are countless and are unbearable!
“I haven't said anything...and how's Young lady Bua doing?” Sipakorn let Nan hold his arms like that, but his large body moved closer before bending down, using his prominent nose to kiss Nan's cheek, blowing out a chaotic breath. Sometimes heavy, sometimes light...and damn it. His stomach churned again!
“Bua said to stay calm, wait a while longer before telling the adults. If we say it now, it'll be too chaotic. Even if she doesn't show it...she asked about me and you as well.”
“Bua? Just leave it at that, and how will you answer about you and me? And how will you announce yourself that way...”
“I apologize if that will make you uncomfortable.” Sipakorn moved away, as Nan narrowed his eyes in a reproachful manner...at this moment, he didn't know what Nan was thinking. He didn't know if Nan wanted him to come closer or stay away.
“Nan, take your medicine and go to sleep. It's late now, I'll go to bed soon too.”
“Um... wherever you want to go.”
Sipakorn swallowed hard, his face turning pale. If he were a dog, as Nan often said, his tail would be tucked and his ears drooping. How many times has he been chased like this by Nan?
“But think carefully before you go.” Nan suddenly stood up and sat cross-legged, his posture tense. He grabbed a bag of medicine and looked at the person standing in front of him, using his eyes to command the other person to sit down beneath his authority.
“Me...”
“You do know that when I am hurt like this my body reacts violently and I get feverish. Seven years ago, I had a fever almost to the point of going into shock. Tonight, I am feeling unwell again, not sure if it will progress to shock. And if you do not want history to repeat itself...then sit down in front of me.” Nan paused to take a deep breath before speaking in a commanding tone, leaving the other party with no choice.
The wood patterned stick reflected in the eyes of Sipakorn as he shifted his body, using his knees to lower himself onto the floor in front of Nan. The club-like shapes of his tail still turned, his ears still drooped, looking even more pitiful than before. Just four hours ago, he could barely walk on the softer carpeted floor. How much pain would he have to endure this time? ‘I deserves to be punished.’ Sipakorn thought to himself. If lord Nan was hurt, it would only be fair for him to suffer more.
Sipakorn's beautifully curved jawline was touched by the slender fingers of Nan. The bracelet on his wrist still made a sound. The cool metal slid across his cheek before Sipakorn felt a slight touch on his earlobe when something was pulled through his hair. His hand moved up, feeling unfamiliar. The smooth texture on his skin felt even smoother when pressed harder, making him feel like soft...flowers.
“These frangipanis are beautiful. I picked them earlier.” Nan explained to Sipakorn, whose pale eyebrows and confused eyes showed his curiosity and confusion.
“Lord Nan, putting flowers to my ears...”
“I love frangipani... Sip, you are my favorite frangipani flower.” Nan gently played with the soft, delicate hair strands, creating a relaxed mood for Sipakorn.
“I'm happy to hear you say that... but Nan, putting flowers to my ears...” Sipakorn seemed uncomfortable with the idea of having flowers put to his ears...a man's ears. If it were Nan, he would probably say something like that.
“Beautiful, right? How many stitches did you have to get back then?” Nan laughed softly, his voice low in his throat, amused at his nonchalant demeanor before moving his hand up to touch the scar that was rough and calloused beneath his fingers
“I don't remember, I was feeling sad at that time”
“What were you sad about?”
“I was determined to confess my love to you. I did what I did because of love”
“Fortunately I did not come down. Otherwise, besides you losing your head, I think you probably died because I took the machete and cast a spell that couldn't be stopped.”
“What could make you that angry and hate me that much?”
“Try being an unwilling wife to me once!”
“That's the only thing I can't give in to you Nan.” Sipakorn trembled, looking at Nan in a relaxed posture. Nan spoke as if not serious, but his eyes sparkled making him shiver involuntarily
“Being a wife is not desired...Being a husband is not in the equation. Look at how much pain you have caused. Sip, for you wrong, sit there on your knees until I fell asleep and then wake up again the next morning.” Nan shifted to switch off the light above his head before lying down in the middle of the bed. Nan smiled even wider when the soft voice of Sipakorn gradually became louder
“Can't I do it for just an hour?”
“Sip, I want you to realize that you can't always force yourself on me.”
“I apologize, you can slap me...but I'm tired.”
“Slap you instead of you sitting on your knees?”
“I'm just making a comparison...”
“But I'm serious.” Nan sat up abruptly from the bed, gesturing in the air. Even though the darkness only revealed shadows, Sipakorn's eyes closed in avoidance...Nan looked wicked
The touch on the lips was not forceful enough to call pain. Soft and tender, it invited dreamy excitement. The probing tongue of Nan intertwined with Sipakorn's, stimulating him to respond. Teasing, touching, then withdrawing. It felt like an introduction, but as they became more intimate, the tongues that once entwined swept away the sweetness throughout the warm cavity
“What a heavy drink. The taste of alcohol is still lingering.” Nan complained, exhausted, after letting out a deep breath
“Alcohol stimulates emotional desire, there's still some remaining in me that needs to be as potent as ever.”
“What do you want to communicate to me?”
“Lord Nan...” Sipakorn placed his hand on Nan's thigh, caressing it gently before squeezing it with force until Nan's breath was almost cut off, leaving him unable to cry out. Sipakorn knew well which touch would stimulate Nan quickly, causing him to make a sound of discomfort.
“Be gentle... my body is still sore.”
“I know you are kind-hearted.” Sipakorn smiled, shifting his body to sit on the bed, not forgetting to pick up the beautiful frangipani, leaving it by the bedside. No longer the stray dog that used to have a drooping tail and ears, only a dog that wagged its tail happily when it found a good bone, and looked as if it would hold onto that bone in its mouth, slowly gnawing, licking, and tasting the flavor before finally crunching and swallowing the bone until it was gone...
If the beautiful orchid had feelings, it would surely be heartbroken, having fallen from its mother plant an hour ago and now having to endure the shock of falling off the bed... Poor, pitiful orchid.
Chapter 22: If it's a big problem
7 years ago
The sound of the rooster's crowing grew louder amidst the dust floating in the air. Ahead was a cockfighting arena surrounded by simple brick walls, with visibly fierce and beautiful cocks ready to rumble into battle.
The roosters with beautiful feathers decorated in shiny colors raised their crests and pecked menacingly, ready to fight tooth and nail. Furious and bloodthirsty, there was no stopping them when they were trained to fight until the opponent was severely injured or dead.
The cockfighting in the arena was not unnoticed by the sharp eyes of a young boy, not more than fifteen years old... the handsome young face of Nan that the gambling den owner did not want to welcome, but the amount of money he wagered each time was enticing enough to make him forget that the boy should be in school.
Sipakorn bit his lip, staring with his sharp, piercing eyes at Nan's unique illegal world, which Nan did not notice, as he was focused on the cockfight and did not even realize his arrival, causing Sipakorn to become frustrated. He could not believe that Nan skipped school to gamble on cockfighting!
Sipakorn stopped in his tracks as the loud and coarse voices of cheers and rude cursing simultaneously increased. He averted his eyes from Nan's satisfied smile down towards the arena. Following Nan's gaze towards the cockfighting ring, he saw the injured rooster walking away as the victor. Meanwhile, the defeated one was gasping for air...one life sacrificed to the cruel and merciless nature of humanity. One innocent life that had done nothing wrong.
“I won. The gambling money is mine.”
Sipakorn clenched his fists by his sides tightly, looking at Nan with a puzzled expression as the words lingered in his ears. Did Nan exchange the life of a rooster for money that seemed insignificant to Nan?
“I don't have it...and you made my rooster die, so you're the one who has to compensate me.”
“Are you going to throw a fit because you lost?...Don't speak in that vulgar language. There's no rule that says the losing rooster can't die. I won, so I got the money.”
“Vulgar?...Have you lost all your baby teeth already?” The owner of the dead rooster twitched closer to the short opponent, but Nan's stance, although aggressive, did not intimidate the other party.
“It's not none of my business.”
“It's your business because if you have not lost all the baby teeth, I'll personally pull them off!” With a loud growl, accompanied by a fist striking the air, before it could reach Nan's face, a push from a lean person caused the man to stumble and fall to the ground.
“Sip!” Nan called out to the man who had rushed over to smother the owner of the losing rooster with heavy fists on the ground. Sipakorn now looked fiercely different from the gentle person Nan saw every day.
Eyes of a black color fiercely clashed together, swapping between standing alone to lying down and taking hits or, at times, being the one to retaliate from above. The cockfighting ring had now turned into a battleground for humans, and it all ended when the battered body of Sipakorn rose to stand on its own!
Joining hands, rubbed elbows, and feet clad in worn-out sandals were just a few of the things Sipakorn noticed. He lowered his head to look up at the shuffling feet of...his mother.
“Lord Nan what happened? Lord Mokfa hasn't returned from his business trip, so he didn't come.” she asked, with the questioning gaze of Nan's eyes seeming to ask her questions.
“I am fine...but Sip is hurt. His lips are split, his cheeks swollen, and the nose bleeding just stopped a while ago.”
“Don't worry about Sip, lord Nan. Sip knows when we go back home. He'll probably get hurt worse than this...right, Sipakorn?” Sairoikaew whispered softly, looking at the person sitting with a desolate expression in front of her. She was both shocked and worried, and now, she was also very angry.
“...Mom.” The response from Sipakorn sounded weak as he thought about the punishment he was about to receive. He only prayed for himself that his legs would not get broken.
Sipakorn's tall figure shuffled over to sit beside Nan. His face was swollen and bruised, looking terrifying. His legs were stiff and almost unwilling to move. The person who caused him to be in pain was sitting comfortably in the pond
“Why did you follow me here, Nan?”
“I haven't seen Sip since this morning and thought your legs were too weak to walk.” Nan looked at the slender leg full of distinct, prominent cane marks and blood still seeping through, even though it had been a full day since it was canned...
“Can you walk or not? I looked for you all over the place till I reached here."
“Do you get punished like this often?”
“Not often. I'm not someone who enjoys trouble... or ice cream, Nan. If you don't rush to eat it, it will melt.”
“I bought it for you, Sip, for an apology and a thank you.” Nan only stared at Sipakorn as he weakly accepted the apology and thank you.
Sipakorn remained silent, unsure of what to say before decisively picking up the ice cream to eat it.
“Is it delicious?”
“It's good...”
“I want to eat...”
“There's only one left... I already took a bite.”
“It's okay, I'm not disgusted, Sip.” Nan put his hand on the ground, leaning up slightly to take a bite of the ice cream that was still in Sipakorn's mouth. Their faces were so close, almost touching, causing the person sitting nearby to jolt back in shock!
“It's tasty... but it seems like your saliva got mixed in.” Nan chuckled. He didn't care much about how the person listening might react, they were as stiff as a statue, but despite their stiffness, the sound of their heart pounding loudly confirmed the blood, flesh, and life of Sipakorn.
…
“Sip, keep eating the ice cream.” The exclamation came loudly from the handsome lips of Nan, who was sleeping while mumbling huddled under a thick blanket on the car seat. Nan, pale and on the verge of passing out from the fever that was currently plaguing him, couldn't eat.
“You can't eat ice cream, you have a high fever.” Sipakorn responded to the muffled voice of Nan, gently wiping his sweat-drenched forehead. After turning off the engine and everything became quiet, he shook Nan awake to bring him back to consciousness.
“Are we there yet?”
“I'll take you to see a doctor first before going back to the condominium.”
“But I want to sleep...”
“Lord Nan, you need a doctor.”
“Fine... but I don't want to sleep at the hospital.”
“Are you afraid of ghosts?”
“No... just afraid of not being able to sleep with you, Sip.” Nan ran his hand through his hair, trying to clear his mind and remember what he had just said... until Sipakorn looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked a few questions back.
“What kind of sleeping do you want, Nan?”
“...Let me take care of the fever first and then I will tell what kind.”
With gentle, light-colored eyes, Sipakorn stared at a little girl who was struggling to reach a glass of water near the water dispenser. The girl, small and struggling, could not quite reach it even with her short fingers.
Moving his long legs to the scene, Sipakorn reached out to help the little girl. He picked up the glass of water and handed it to her, but the girl did not take it, still showing a wary gesture.
“My mom said not to take things from strangers.”
“Where did your mom go?”
“She took my sister to see the doctor.”
“What about your dad... Why are you alone here?”
“...My mom said my dad left.” The girl lowered her head to look at the floor, her large round eyes beginning to water before tears fell, causing the person who asked to feel a sense of guilt.
“Don't cry, because if your mom sees you she won't feel good.”
“But I feel sad.”
“It's okay, you still have your mom... come sit and wait for your mom over there together, okay? I'm waiting for someone to finish seeing the doctor as well.” Sipakorn pointed to a chair with someone, and when the little girl hesitated, he handed her the glass of water to drink, then walked over to sit together.
Every minute passed by slowly, Sipakorn lay motionless, unwilling to move much. When he was used as a pillow for the playful and exhausted little girl who eventually fell asleep.
Creek-creek.
Sipakorn tried to ignore the vibrating phone in his pocket, afraid that it would disturb the child's sleep in front of him. He reluctantly picked up the phone and furrowed his brow in confusion when he saw a message from Rajin.
“I am pregnant.” the message read. “Take responsibility, Sip, before these pictures are leaked and people think you're a man without responsibility.”
Sipakorn hesitated, opening the attached photos to see himself cuddling with Rajin once again. Before he could react, he heard heavy footsteps approaching.
Swipe.
“Tell me, Sip, what should I do with that rude girl, Rajin, so she stops bothering you?” Nan asked angrily, clenching his fists as he threw the expensive phone onto the floor, causing it to break into pieces. His face turned red with anger as he glared at Sipakorn with a menacing look, causing the just-woken child to hesitantly approach Sipakorn, fearfully lookin at Nan.
“Is she really pregnant?”
“I don't know.”
Sipakorn looked at the image of himself hugging Rajin once again, confident that Nan had received the same message and photo as he did.
“If it's true, would you choose her or me?”
“I've chosen you for a long time…but if Rajin is pregnant, and that child is mine…”
Sipakorn tightly embraced the young child who had pulled his shirt as a sign of fear. He was thinking that this child was his flesh and blood, and the embrace at this moment felt like spreading wings to protect...protect from what? From Nan, then?
“The problem lies with the child in her womb who doesn't know if it's real or not…but if it's a big problem, I'll get rid of that clot of blood myself!” Nan said, looking at the child in Sipakorn's arms before pulling him out and making the child cry in fear, crouching on the floor.
The slender fingers of Nan grasped the collar, exerting pressure until the other side gasped in discomfort. Their eyes met, full of conflicting emotions. One aimed to spill blood until death. The other seemed unwilling.
“The more you defend her...the more we feel nauseous and want to vomit. Just everything caused by distraction will bring sorrow and anger. Keeping it will only burden and constrain you in the future.” Nan said.
“Nan, you think it will be a burden for me in the future. Or are you afraid that the child will snatch away the love I have for you?” Nan released his hand from Sipakorn's collar, reaching down to grab the keys to the car that Sipakorn had laid on the nearby cushion. Everything happened quickly, but Sipakorn was fast enough to run after and grab Nan's arm in time...
“Nan!”
“Sip, you can't stop me!” Nan shifted his weight, using his foot to push heavily on Sipakorn's unsteady side, and the person who was not expecting to be pushed back.
Crash!
The large body fell, rolling into a chair until it was dented, but within a few seconds, Sipakorn got up and ran after Nan.
The black car looked familiar, ready to start as it jumped forward. The doors were locked, and no matter how much Sipakorn tried to break in, the person inside made no move to open it.
The engine roared in the nervous yard, Sipakorn shook his head in denial, wondering what to do as Nan was about to go!!
Chapter 23: If your humanity... still exists
The tall figure of Nan stood face to face with the petite figure of Rajin inside the private room of the other party. Rajin, now looking thin in Nan's eyes, her face and eyes once radiant now seemed hollow, much like someone being possessed.
Nan lowered his gaze to look at the area around Rajin's abdomen, which bulged slightly through the thin fabric. It wasn't very large, probably because it was her first pregnancy, but just that confirmed that the other party was truly pregnant!
“Phii Sip?” A dry voice uttered through the corners of her mouth. She got up to open the back door upon hearing the knock, thinking it was Sipakorn...not someone staring at her with the same dangerous demeanor as Nan at the moment.
“Go ask in hell!” Nan's slender hand grabbed the slender arms of the unassuming person before twisting and throwing them until the face of Rajin was contorted in agony. There were no screams, no pleas, as Nan confidently felt the other side was grinning wickedly, the twist of fate bringing Rajin back to life.
“Nan, take it out... take it out.” Rajin whimpered as she lay crumpled on the ground, her abdomen throbbing in pain. With trembling legs, she tried to alleviate the pain as Nan contemplated the individual approaching with a rush of excitement. The face of the person she had chosen to be the father of her child, now seemed irrelevant, as the pieces of her fragmented body were dying.
“Jin...” Sipakorn uttered as he glanced at the crumpled body on the floor, his eyes falling on the legs now stained with dark red blood. Without waiting for his mind to command, Sipakorn's soul ordered him to pick up the body from the ground.
“Let her die...” Nan used his foot to kick Sipakorn's hand away as he was about to lift Rajin's body. Glancing worriedly at the situation, he said, “When you plant a seed, it's born because you didn't intend for it to come out. It's best to let it out where it went in.”
Sipakorn clenched his jaw tightly, not wanting to speak to Nan. Admitting he was angry, even more provoked by Nan's words that sounded inhuman.
“A mother is no different than an abomination she carries. It's better not for that baby to never come out...”
Slam!
Nan shook his head downward, not being able to retaliate due to the strength of Sipakorn's punch. It didn't hurt enough to bring forth the metallic taste of fresh blood, but it did leave Nan's face numbed. Sipakorn slapped Nan's face intentionally, not accidentally!
Nan's slender hand hesitated, wanting to retaliate, but it couldn't when the thick hand of the other person grabbed him before exerting force to the point where Nan felt pain.
“Sip, you actually dared to hit me.” Nan's eyes became red with anger, a mix of confusion and frustration. Tears welled up in Nan's burning eyes, as he had to let the tears flow to alleviate the pain.
“Yes, I slapped you, don't think that I slapped you because Rajin asked me to do it, I slapped you because I was worried and wanted to remind you that what you are doing is killing people!”
“Sipakorn…” Nan couldn't speak, his mouth trembling, he could only stare at Sipakorn carrying the limp body close to his chest. Nan's heart ached, and he didn't know what he should do.”
“Whether it was intentional or not, whether it is my child or not, it happened...If your humanity is still intact, then let me take Rajin to the hospital.” Sipakorn avoided Nan's gaze, he knew exactly what was happening, and Nan and Rajin, did they know at all what was going on?!
Sipakorn's tall figure slowly stood up as the emergency room door opened. His face was calm as he listened to the doctor describing Rajin's condition.
“Both mother and baby are safe. The older the pregnancy, the more we need to be careful about accidents...”
“It's good that they're safe.”
“The mother is underweight. The doctor is worried about problems with the baby in the womb. In reality, at twenty weeks of pregnancy, the mother should weigh more, about five to six kilograms...It seems that the mother hasn't gained weight yet. What is going on, you should have brought her to the hospital?”
“Twenty weeks pregnant?”
“Yes...around there. Actually, it's best to start prenatal care at the seventh to eighth week.”
“Understood. Thank you so much, doctor.” Sipakorn nodded. He didn't care what Nan would say next, everything was running through his mind. Rajin was almost five months pregnant, while their situation happened only three months ago. It was clear that even if he had actually slept with her, the baby in the womb was not his...he was sure that he did not make love with Rajin!
“Why did you bring me to the hospital? Why didn't you let me die!” Rajin poured water into Sipakorn, who was walking in. She was about to collapse when she recovered and found out that what she didn't want was still in her body.
“Why would you let my child die?” Sipakorn stepped away from the broken glass. He hesitated before walking over and sitting at the edge of the bed.
“My child?...”
“My child, you told me yourself.”
“Phii Sip, the doctor must have told you that I have been pregnant for almost five months... How can it be your child when we've never slept together!” Rajin's tears streamed down her face. She saw the consequences of her actions now and almost lost all her dignity as a person. A pregnancy without a father, she came up with a plan to deceive Sipakorn and run away together. Wicked and immoral, she even wished for her own blood to die!
“I know... but I still accept that the child in your womb will be mine. I want to have a child, even if it means being damned for it. Jin, you know better than anyone else, willing to sacrifice her unborn child to claim responsibility for me.”
“I want it dead, but I... I can't bear to do it, Phii Sip. If I was to keep it. It's more embarrassing than I can tolerate the criticism of anyone. I hate it. I have no way out. I'm sorry I did this to you. I'm sorry. I'm jealous of Nan. I'm jealous that Nan received love from you. If it weren't for Nan...” Rajin raised her trembling hand to touch Sipakorn, her mouth and throat shaking as he lowered his voice.
“Don't mention Nan. I want to deal with this issue with you alone... Who is the father? I will accept the child but I need to make sure the real father won't reclaim the child.”
“That scoundrel, he got me pregnant and then threw me away. He has a new girlfriend and won't accept responsibility... Phii Sip... But you tell anyone that the child in my womb is mine and yours? We will marry, have a warm family, a dream family that I longed for.” Rajin blinked, wiping away the tears. Her eyes gleamed with hope when life seemed to have another chance.
“I just want the child.”
“... What do you mean, Phii Sip?”
“The child in your womb will be mine, not yours.”
Rajin pondered the words she heard from Sipakorn... Sipakorn was telling her that he wants only the child, not the mother... Is that what he meant?
“I have two options for you… go to Canada and stay there until you give birth. This option promises that your history will be clean. You will be like you have never been pregnant, but that also means you will have no rights to the child. The second option is to do as you wish, threaten me, and I will claim back that the child in the womb is not mine.”
Rajin looked up at Sipakorn.
Her hopes and dreams were crushed, causing her to hate the lump in her stomach even more. Her hand grabbed the hospital blanket tightly. Sipakorn not only threatened Rajin, but also knew that he was serious.
“It would be better to let Nan kill it.”
“Don't use Nan's hand to kill. Stop messing with me and Nan.”
“Oh, the lovebirds love each other too much...”
“Choose one, Rajin.”
“Okay, I'll take it Phii Sip... I will go to Canada, but I will be the one to name the baby. I will name him Aisuan, he will lack any virtue in life. Keep it as a reminder that his existence has brought his mother's life down.”
“No one has made your life worse. Except you yourself.” Sipakorn stopped looking at the one who couldn't speak, turned around, and prepared to leave the room. “Until Aisuan is born, let's keep quiet for a while... Rajin.”