EXTERN

Chapter 28

 

What?

 

Did you think Per and I were going to have sex?

 

Heh.

 

[One hour earlier]

 

Thud!

 

The muscular body of the man I’d missed for more than a month pushed me down onto the bed before he climbed over me, pinning me beneath him with undisguised hunger. Per’s gaze was like that of a dangerous serpent, intent on devouring every inch of me.

 

“Kan…”

 

His hoarse voice brushed teasingly against my ear, stirring my desire before warm lips closed around my earlobe. The clothes covering our bodies gradually came off, one piece… then another.

 

“Mmm…”

 

A protesting moan escaped me when the person in front of me stole my breath, sucking at my lips and tasting the sweetness inside my mouth. Our hot tongues met and tangled, neither of us willing to give way.

 

“I missed you.”

 

The words slipped quietly from my mouth. I hadn’t intended for him to hear them, but the poisonous snake caught them anyway. He lifted his head and gave me such a wicked, sly grin that a shiver ran through me.

 

His large hands kneaded my hips eagerly while I returned the favour, stroking the evidence of just how pent-up he was. Judging by how hard he was beneath my hand, he really must have been holding back for more than a month, just as he’d claimed.

 

“I missed you too, Kan. Let's make up for all that time apart.”

 

The larger man flipped me onto my stomach before covering me with his body again, so quickly that I barely had time to react.

 

“W-Wait! The gel’s in the drawer.”

 

If we were going to do this now, it would bloody hurt! Considering the size of his weapon, I might actually split in half. A little lubrication was the least I could ask for.

 

“Hmm?”

 

Per nuzzled his nose and face along the crook of my neck, leaving marks down the line of my spine while one hand searched through the drawer for the lubricant.

 

Rrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

My ringtone suddenly blared through the room, making me jump. I reached for my beloved phone to answer it.

 

Normally, nobody called me on my days off unless it was genuinely urgent. Or perhaps it was one of my friends?

 

Grab!

 

Before I could reach the phone, the man above me, who had now found the lubricant, caught both my wrists and pulled them above my head. A cold sensation spread across my backside as the horny bastard began preparing me.

 

“Per… answer the phone.”

 

I tried telling the lust-crazed brat, but by now he wasn’t listening to a bloody thing.

 

I looked back over my shoulder at his ridiculously handsome face. He was staring at me as though he wanted to swallow me whole.

 

There was no way words were going to get through to him easily now. I wriggled and twisted, trying to escape his strong grip, but there was no chance.

 

“D-Don’t!”

 

When he shifted backwards slightly, preparing himself, I quickly shoved against his stomach and tried to turn around to answer the call. The screen showed my best friend’s number.

 

Knock, knock.

 

Click!

 

“Why the fuck aren’t you answering your pho—”

 

“!!!”

 

THUD!!!

 

I kicked the horny bastard straight off the bed and immediately grabbed the duvet, wrapping it around myself.

 

As for our unexpected visitor, Guide stood frozen in the bedroom doorway, staring at us with his eyes practically popping out of his head.

 

“Er… I didn’t know you were… I’ll wait downstairs.”

 

Click!

 

At least the bastard had enough manners to leave immediately and close the door behind him.

 

“Kan… nooo.”

 

“I’m going downstairs to see my friend.”

 

I wrapped the duvet tightly around myself, grabbed the clothes scattered across the floor and prepared to head straight into the bathroom.

 

“Waittt! Come and help me firsttt!”

 

“Deal with it yourself. I’m in a hurry!”

 

“Kannnnnn!”

 

[Present]

 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, was how the two of us ended up sitting there looking thoroughly guilty in front of my friends, who were staring at us as though they were parents who’d just discovered their precious child had lost his virginity.

 

I’m not your bloody child!

 

At present, the guests I hadn’t invited, but who had happily invited themselves, consisted of Guide, Great, Natcha and May-ai.

 

What the hell did you lot think my house was, Dream World?

 

You can’t just decide you fancy coming and arrive as a bloody group!

 

“Why are you lot here?”

 

I asked them directly. Might as well finally find out what they wanted.

 

“I came to see you, obviously. You kept posting all that depressing crap on Facebook, so I thought little Per had dumped you, and you’d curled up somewhere and died of heartbreak. Who knew you were actually—”

 

“Shut the fuck up!”

 

My face was hot.

 

My ears were hot.

 

My entire body was hot.

 

Even my bloody head was hot.

 

I gripped the chair so tightly that Per had to stroke me soothingly.

 

I get embarrassed too, you bastards!

 

“Pathetic.”

 

Natcha gave me an exasperated little smirk. At least I was happy that I could no longer see any lingering longing for me in her eyes. Perhaps one day we really could go back to being friends. But I could never give her false hope again.

 

“I wasn’t upset about anything. I was just posting nonsense.”

 

I muttered under my breath. I didn’t want Per finding out exactly how much pathetic rubbish I’d posted. I’d even hidden the Facebook posts from him so he wouldn’t see them.

 

I get embarrassed, damn it!

 

Look at him now. He was already staring at me with sparkling, teasing eyes!

 

“Whatever. We’re already here, so we’ll probably stay for a few days.”

 

“Do whatever the hell you want. Make yourselves at home, why don’t you!”

 

I said it sarcastically, but honestly, they visited my house so often they could probably navigate it with their eyes closed.

 

Knowing them, they’d already dumped their luggage in the guest rooms before bothering to come and find the actual owner of the house.

 

[Sunday Morning]

 

“Hello, P’Kan.”

 

“Hello, Nong…?”

 

I gave her a slightly weary look.

 

Apparently, someone had decided to make merit today. Naturally, it wasn’t me.

 

It wasn’t Per.

 

It wasn’t any of my friends.

 

And it definitely wasn’t Dad.

 

No.

 

The culprit was my mother.

 

Honestly, it seemed as though Mum was gradually becoming more accepting of Per. Unfortunately, her friend was still incredibly determined to have me get acquainted with her daughter. Has anyone actually asked what I want?!

 

“Pleng.”

 

Does she think she’s some wide-eyed cartoon heroine or something? Did she think she’d wandered straight out of a Japanese anime? Why was her face so pale and her lips so red? Did she think having a greyish-white face would make her look expensive like a thousand-baht note?

 

And those lips- was she worried people wouldn’t realise she’d been drinking chicken blood?

 

What?!

 

Why?!

 

Why did she have to interfere with me on a day off when I should’ve been lying stupidly in bed doing absolutely nothing?

 

I was irritated. Work was stressful. Work was exhausting. I wanted to sleep! And instead, I’d been dragged out of bed to make merit at the temple?

 

I’m a bloody sinner! Why does everyone insist on interfering with my life?!

 

“Yes.”

 

“It’s so lovely getting to make merit with you, P’Kan.”

 

Normally, I was a gentleman around women. But right now, things are not normal.

 

Firstly, I disliked women who tried far too hard to pursue me, particularly by going through my mother, because then Mum started ordering me around and made it difficult for me to refuse.

 

Secondly, she already knew I had a boyfriend and that he was a man, yet she was still trying. That was strange. Perhaps this mother-and-daughter pair had some sort of plan.

 

Thirdly, I simply didn’t like women like her. That was it. To put it plainly, I didn’t like her.

 

“I make merit by giving to beggars and people in need quite often. They usually say the same thing you just did, Nong Pleng. Hahaha.”

 

I gave her a bland smile. Her expression fell immediately, and she excused herself to stand beside her mother.

 

That left me alone, holding the sangkhathan offering set and preparing to walk up towards the monks’ quarters.

 

Per had been sent by Mum to fetch the abbot. She was obviously trying to give Pleng as much opportunity with me as possible.

 

“Who was that?”

 

“Your future sagoi?”

 

The moment Pleng walked away, Guide and Great descended upon me as though they’d been waiting for their cue.

 

“Yeah. Mum’s friend’s daughter.”

 

I answered wearily and continued towards the monks’ quarters, leaving those two idiots behind to analyse and criticise her to their hearts’ content.

 

“Your mum’s taste is getting pretty local these days. Supporting the community, is she?”

 

“That mark on her calf… is that an exhaust-pipe burn from a motorbike?”

 

“How the hell did you see that? She’s wearing a pha sin.”

 

“I saw it when she lifted her skirt to walk up the stairs.”

 

“Definitely a sagoi.”

 

“Absolutely!”

 

I rolled my eyes. You two were paying more attention to the poor girl than I was.

 

“I’m telling you, she definitely used to be a sagoi.”

 

“Oi! These days you’re supposed to call them flip-flop pretties.”

 

“This is an upgraded sagoi, mate. She’s levelled up! Hahaha!”

 

I stopped walking and turned to face my two friends seriously before we got close enough for the person they were mocking to hear them.

 

“You shouldn’t talk about her like that. Even if she used to be a sagoi or whatever else, you shouldn’t make fun of her for it. It doesn’t make anyone look better, especially the people saying it.”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

“Yes, Dad.”

 

Both immediately stood still with their heads lowered as though thoroughly chastised. I could only shake my head at them. I might not like her, but that didn’t mean we had the right to hurt someone with careless words.

 

We went through the usual Buddhist merit-making rituals. The only awkward part was Pleng constantly trying to sit close to me and insisting on presenting the offerings together.

 

Per stood nearby looking thoroughly uncomfortable. But what could he do? She was a woman. It wasn’t as though Per could grab her by the hair and drag her away. Still, she was becoming rather irritating.

 

“P’Kan, could I take a photo with you?”

 

Click!

 

I nodded reluctantly, and she immediately rushed over, wrapped an arm around my waist and tilted her face close to mine.

 

Then she found her angle and—

 

Click! Click! Click!

 

She took nearly ten bloody photos in rapid succession.

 

In every single one, all I could manage was an awkward smile. Don’t tell me she’s some sort of internet celebrity too. She was cute enough, I suppose. It was just that her make-up and clothes were rather…

 

Well.

 

She looked like a local girl from around here.

 

“We’re having a party at home tonight. Since there are already so many of you youngsters here, Nong Pleng should come too.”

 

Mum smiled gently at everyone.

 

Meanwhile, my face probably genuinely looked like this:

(==)

 

I really needed to have a proper conversation with Mum soon, before my life became even more chaotic.

 

“Where’s Per?”

 

I turned to ask Guide, who was busy finding good angles to take photos of the girls.

 

Everyone was dressed beautifully in pha sin today, looking elegant in traditional Thai style.

 

“He’s your husband. How the fuck should I know? He’s over there feeding the fish!”

 

“Right.”

 

I gave my beloved friend an exasperated look before heading towards the large fish pond.

 

A bridge stretched across the water towards a little island in the middle, where there were seats beneath a large tree.

 

“How’s it going?”

 

The large man, who had been sitting there peacefully watching something, turned and looked up at me.

 

He smiled before shifting aside to make room for me.

 

“The atmosphere here is lovely. The air’s so fresh.”

 

“Making you not want to go home, isn’t it?”

 

I teased him and slipped my fingers between his. Per immediately tightened his hand around mine. I wanted him to stay here with me too. I didn’t want him to go back to his own home at all. But that wasn’t possible, was it?

 

Everyone had their own path to follow.

 

“Yeah… I don’t want to go back.”

 

“Fallen in love with this place?”

 

I looked towards the sky. Birds swooped through the air overhead, while large fish swam beneath the surface of the water. A gentle breeze drifted around us.

 

And beside me was someone whose presence warmed me.

 

Could time stop here for a while?

 

I’d happily give up sleep if it meant I could stay here and soak in this moment for just a little longer.

 

“I fall in love with anywhere that has Kan in it. I can live anywhere, as long as Kan is there.”

 

“…I want to get married.”

 

“What?!”

 

Wait.

 

That wasn’t a marriage proposal just now, was it?!

 

What the hell?!

 

Why had he suddenly brought this up?

Bloody hell—he’d gone mad!

 

“Maybe it’s too soon… I just want Kan to know.”

 

I froze.

 

“If I ever decide to marry someone… Kan is the first and only person I want to marry.”

 

“…”

 

“It might not be now… and it might not be any time soon. But I want you to know how I feel.” He smiled as he spoke.

 

“I don’t want to date Kan just to pass the days…”

 

His fingers tightened gently around mine.

 

“I want to marry Kan.”

 

What the hell was I supposed to say to that?!

I’d been too embarrassed to speak since the first bloody sentence! And the more he talked, the happier his smile became, as though he could already see his future—and I was there in it.

 

I’m so bloody embarrassed!