Special Chapter 1 - Chonky!

"Oh no, no, no..."

"What's wrong?" Intha asked as he walked out of 7-Eleven, glancing at Akara, who was muttering 'no' repeatedly. Akara stood in front of the scale, both hands cupping his chubby cheeks.

"My weight went up. Do you have another coin?"

"Maybe. Let me check. I'll weigh myself too." 

Intha dug into the pocket of his shorts and handed Akara a handful of coins. His soft gaze wandered to the food displayed in front of the store. He thought about getting some meatballs from the nearby meatball cart. Maybe later.

"Damn, is this scale broken? No way, no way. Hia, come weigh yourself. What's your usual weight?"

"Seventy-six, I think," he replied, stepping onto the scale. Intha inserted the coin Akara had given him into the machine. A distorted speaker blared a tune, and the red numbers stopped at...74 Kg.

"Oh, I lost weight. Did I get thinner? What about you? Did yours go up? How much?"

"Eung?"

"Lemme weigh myself again, and then I'll tell you." Akara bit his lower lip, pushing the tip of his nose until he could feel the piercing inside. He handed his wallet and phone to Intha and took off his shoes. He was this close to stripping down completely before stepping on the scale, but the embarrassment of people walking in and out and the fear of being accused of indecency stopped him. Akara stepped onto the scale for the third time that day, inserted a coin, and listened to the tune… 76 Kg.

"Chubby cutie!" Intha teased, leaning in with a grin. Akara stared at the number in shock, swallowing hard and looking as if he were about to cry.

"Four kilos. Where the hell did it come from?"

"Too many snacks. Milk tea and ice cream, those are the culprits." Intha held up the bag of snacks Akara had picked out earlier in the store. Akara had walked out with an ice cream bar, leaving the rest for Intha to pay for and carry. evening. How could his weight not go up? He ordered bubble tea almost every day and had two ice cream bars in the

"Don't bully me. I only order my milk tea with fifty per cent sugar, okay?"

"Sure, don't be sad. I love you even if you're chubby."

"Do I look much bigger?"

"Not really, but your body is softer now." Intha's eyes scanned Akara from head to toe. They were together every day, so he hadn't noticed much. But now that he looked closely. Don't tell me. He really had gained weight. His already round cheeks looked even fuller. Damn, he's adorable!!!

"Softer? I've never been soft before. This is flabby!" Akara emphasised the word 'flabby' by pinching the extra bit of his waist that spilt over his pants. Intha scratched his nose, his brain scrambling for a way to navigate the situation.

"Eating brings happiness. Want some meatballs?"

"I'm already fat, and you're still offerin' me food!"

"Uh..."

"Go eat by yourself."

"Alright, alright. I'll order from the uncle. Two pork tendon skewers and two crab sticks. You're not having any, right?" He tested the waters, his expression awkward and unsure. Akara was upset. Intha wasn't sure if it was at him or the scale.

"I'm not eatin'. I'm gonna lose weight now."

"Okay."

Intha nodded and walked over to the meatball cart. He ordered two pork tendon skewers and two crab sticks, smiling a little at the uncle, who recognised him as a regular customer. While waiting for his order, Akara, still sulking from the scale incident, walked over and bumped his shoulder against Intha’s with a loud thud.

"If you bring it home, I'll get hungry."

"Fine, I'll have two skewers. But tomorrow, I'm serious about losin' weight. And tonight, no late-night snacks." Akara pointed a finger, rubbing his lips as he eyed the variety of meatballs. "What should I get for just two skewers? I want pork tendon, crab sticks, sausage, and seaweed looks good too. Red sausage, fish balls... ughhh."

"Calm down, Akara. You're already picking more than two skewers."

"Let's just call today a farewell feast." Intha watched as Akara's tattooed hand picked out skewers for the uncle. What started as two quickly turned into six. This is gonna be tough for the diet.

"Is that enough?"

"That's it for now."

"Swear you already had dinner?" Intha mumbled. Since the bar was closed today, they'd had a heavy meal earlier. But Akara still managed to eat ice cream and now six skewers of meatballs. Oh well. If this doesn't make him gain weight, what will?

"What are you mumbling about?"

"Nothing... Uncle, add more sweet sauce this time. My boyfriend complained it was too spicy last time." Intha quickly turned to the uncle, changing the subject. Akara seemed in a good mood as he waited for the meatballs, swaying happily. Yeah... definitely the lifestyle of a food lover.

People in love tend to eat more and gain weight. Proud of myself. I've managed to make my boyfriend gain four kilos. So proud! Good job, Intha. But you'd better start looking into buying a treadmill for your beloved wifey.

"Hia!"

"These pants don't fit me anymore." Akara clutched his favourite pair of jeans to his chest. Intha yawned-it was late, and Akara was still trying on clothes.

"Didn't you just wear them the other day? You're imagining things."

"I'm not imaginin' it. They're tight. I almost couldn't button it. This one doesn't fit either. And this one. And this one."

Akara kept pulling clothes out of the closet. Intha yawned again and pulled the sulking Akara onto his lap, resting his head on Akara's shoulder.

"Eung, I'm sleepy."

"Go to bed first."

"No, I'll wait for you. You should sleep, too." Intha nuzzled his nose into Akara's fragrant neck, brushing the pile of clothes off the bed and pulling Akara down with him. He lay slightly higher than Akara, wrapping his arms around his neck, his nose buried in Akara's hair. Akara reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, then grabbed Intha's arm.

"I'm fat now."

"You're cute."

"I'm scared you won't love me anymore."

"Don't imagine things. I'll always love you."

"I don't like havin' a belly." Akara guided Intha's hand to his stomach. Intha rubbed it gently, leaning up to kiss Akara's cheek.

"I'll buy you a treadmill."

See? Money solves everything.

"Promise?"

It worked.

"Yeah, we'll get one tomorrow."

"Okay. I'll come out and run, like Hamtaro." Akara's voice began to trail off, his breathing evening out.

"Ham-Eung. Are you asleep?"

"ZZzzZ" The silence was his answer. Akara was really asleep. Intha adjusted himself slightly to find a more comfortable position. He switched from hugging tightly to resting his hand lightly on Akara, whispering softly into his ear. "Sweet dreams, chubby boy."

Blanket was Intha's comfort object. He was sure Akara knew this about him. His love for blankets wasn't because he got cold easily, but because he adored the soft, cosy feeling they gave. He loved to squeeze them before bed and in the morning.

They were soft...

They were squishy...

They were irresistibly cosy...

Smack!

"Ouch!"

Intha was jolted awake by a sharp slap on the back of his hand from Akara. His sleepy eyes looked at his now-red hand, then at Akara's face. Akara's eyes were blazing with irritation.

"What's wrong? Did you dream I cheated on you?" Intha asked softly, rubbing the back of his hand to ease the pain.

"No. You were squeezin' my belly like it was a toy. Were you tryna tell me I'm fat?"

"I thought it was the blanket."

"So you're sayin' my belly feels like a blanket now?"

"I didn't mean that!"

"Don't lie to me! And don't raise your voice!"

Intha scratched his head, feeling as if Akara were starting a psychological war. Couples argue; it's normal. But now they were about to fight over weight gain. Weight gain might just be a national crisis… What should he do?

"Calm down, okay? What time is it, Eung?"

"Ten in the mornin'." Akara's tone softened as Intha used a sweet voice, scooting closer. He kissed Akara's shoulder lightly, then moved to his forehead, making Akara melt completely.

"Go shower and get dressed. I'll take you to pick out a treadmill."

"This mornin', I want steak for breakfast."

"-"

"And what about losing weight?" Intha squinted, questioning the person giving him puppy-dog eyes. Food and Akara were inseparable. But wasn't he supposed to be losing weight? Intha figured Akara's weight-loss plan was already doomed.

"Breakfast is fine. I've heard you should eat like a king in the morning to fuel your day."

"And dinner? Eat less? Skip it?"

"Nope. At night, I'll feast like an emperor."

"How am I supposed to respond to this?" Intha flopped back onto the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. So, what's the plan, Eung? What's the plan?

"There's no need to respond. About the treadmill, I've been thinking... I don't think it's necessary. If I really want to, I can run in the park. I've decided I'm not going to lose weight. If my pants don't fit, I'll just buy new ones. Life is too short, Hia. If eatin' makes me happy, then I'll eat. The world is already hard enough; I don't wanna make myself suffer."

"I'm serious, y'know."

"But maybe cut back on the bubble tea a bit. If it's too delicious, you might end up losing a leg to diabetes."

"Okay." Akara turned to glance at Intha, who was stretched out on the bed. He climbed onto Intha, pinning him down. "I'm not that heavy. Don't you think?"

"Sure, little one." Intha gritted his teeth, pretending to struggle under the weight, which earned him a light slap on the mouth from Akara. Intha laughed, grabbed Akara's upper arms, and flipped him over, pinning him beneath. Now it was his turn to be on top.

"I really am small. One pull, and I'm gone flyin'."

"Being small is good. Makes it easier to pin you down."

"If I get fat, will you still love me?"

"Like you're skinny now?"

"Bastard!"

"Yeah, I know. No need to rub it in. And just so you know, I'm about to be even worse."

"How?" Akara squirmed, his wrists pinned to the bed. Intha brought his nose close, brushing it against Akara's.

"By calling you a chubby baby."

"Even if I'm a chubby baby, I'm only your chubby baby."

"I'll do anything in the world for you."

"You said it. Anythin', huh?"

"Your mouth is always as smackable as ever." Intha released Akara's wrists and pinched his chubby cheeks. Then he let his full weight fall onto Akara, hugging him tightly until Akara protested. When Intha refused to let go, Akara kicked him off, sending him rolling to the floor. That kick? Totally out of embarrassment, not annoyance...I  know it. I can tell.

"Stop messin' around and go shower already."

"Honestly, I'm still sleepy."

"I'm hungry."

"Do we have to rush?"

"We should. If you're too slow, hungry Eung might just eat you up. Especially now that I'm starvin'."

"One... two..." No need for three. Intha, who had been kicked to the floor, quickly got up. He grabbed a soft towel in a flash and headed to the bathroom. But not before shouting loudly: "I love my chubby wifey!"

"Yeah, yeah. I love my hubby too." Akara shook his head, exasperated by the chaos of the morning. He stood up, squeezing his soft belly. It's probably fine to be chubby. I already have a hubby, and he seems pretty happy with me being a chubby baby.

So, I guess I'll just stay chubby, huh?

Chubby is cute anyway.