HEMP ROPE AKA BETWEEN US.

THEY SAY COUGARS ARE IMMORTAL.

It was near seven o'clock at Sunflower Dormitory, and the students began their new day differently. Some were leaving their room, and some were...

 

"Ninety-seven."

"Ninety-eight."

 

"Ninety-nine."

"A hundred!!"

 

The counting came to an end, replaced by a lungful of air, and was followed by an alarm, telling the 919 occupant to get ready for his class. Team, an 18-year-old, got up, grabbed a towel, and headed into the bathroom. He did not attend morning training at the club, but he made sure to work out in his room. After a long time of neglect, his six-pack has become visible. In fact, he had been astonishingly more muscular since his days in university, especially after he returned from a club camping months ago.

 

Like every freshman, Team's uniform was prim, yet he always fumbled with his annoying tie. Team wished for the day when he no longer needed one, since he could never tie it for the life of him. Eventually, he gave up and turned to grab his car key. He made sure to text his close friend to ask him to make an avocado-chicken breast sandwich.

 

Sleepy students scattered about the faculty at eight in the morning. Team dropped himself on a marble bench, grinning at the yummy-looking sandwich in a Tupperware box.

 

"Whoa, what do we have here?" Chicken breast, tuna, ham and cheese; all that he requested.

 

"This is for Team." Pharm, the new guy from the orientation, who had quickly become his close friend. This guy could cook so well, it was no wonder his house once ran a restaurant.

 

"Whose sandwich is this?" he beckoned to another Tupperware. It couldn't be Manow's since she was already munching on hers.

 

"Who else can it be?" Manow swallowed her last piece with a face full of joy. "It's his. His."

 

Team raised his eyebrow before narrowing them playfully. "Oh."

 

"Oh, what!?" Pharm shrieked with a furious blush.

 

"Hey, hey, you're getting worked up." Team wagged its finger.

 

"Give it to me. I'm putting my clothes in the club's locker. I'll bring it to him." He placed the Tupperware in his backpack, ignoring Pharm's jaw-dropping reaction.

 

"Wait." Pharm got his friend to stand in front of him again. Despite the fed-up expression, he helped his friend with his tie. "You'll get punished for walking around in that inappropriate uniform."

 

"Oh, yes. Thanks, man," Team stroked his friend's hair.

 

Click.

 

"Manow." Pharm rolled his eyes. "Which website will it be on this time?" Manow smiled sheepishly, placing her cellphone in her bag. Well, they were too cute to resist.

 

"Don't mind me. Look at those squealing girls, I bet they got more shots."

 

Team glanced towards the said girls, and Manow was right. They seemed to be Yaoi fangirls. He shrugged, unfazed by the thought of falling as an imagined couple with his best friend. People are much more open-minded these days. Everyone could be an imagined couple. A heterosexual couple, a homosexual couple. You name it.

 

"There there, P'Dean won't take it the wrong way," Team teased before fleeing when Pharm glared at him. His teasing needed limits since his stomach depended on Pharm.

 

The swimming club was now almost empty after morning practice was over. Most students were getting ready for their first class. Team stuffed a bag of clothes into his locker. Then his eyes searched for the famous club president.

 

Dean was the president of the Swimming Club at T University. A third-year student in the Faculty of Business Administration. He was quiet, serious, but good-looking, the most handsome guy in the club. He had partial Middle Eastern descent, which explained his pretty eyes. Furthermore, he had a thing for Team's best friend, Pharm. His friend's heart shouldn't break; his cupid sense would make sure of that.

 

"P'Dean." Team waved upon seeing a tall, broad young man talking with another person. "Here, it's from Pharm." He handed Dean a box of sandwiches from his friend. The club president's greyish-green eyes softened noticeably, making Team even more excited, as he thought his friend's love life should be fulfilled.

 

"What about me?" Team startled, he missed another guy crossing his arms over his chest. He wanted to curse. Damn.

 

"Hia, you aren't P'Dean. Pharm made this one specially for P'Dean." Team responded, and he picked up his own sandwich, but it was snatched away by no one other than the swimming club vice president.

 

"Hia! That was uncalled for! It's my breakfast."

 

"Shut up." Win finished the sandwich in a few bites. "What time is your class?"

Team gave an exasperated sigh, picking up his leftover sandwich to munch on. "Nine."

 

"Good, then come have breakfast with me." Disregarding the response, the blond vice president merrily dragged the junior away. Few students were eating in the cafeteria. Win placed a large bowl of noodles on the table, and Team's eyes sparkled as he put down his cellphone—the joy of getting free food.

 

"Hia, you're not adding any condiments?" Team glanced at the other's noodle bowl with soup as clear as a child's noodle.

 

"You'd rip your intestines taking so many condiments in the morning. You have too much vinegar; I limit my intake from four to two spoons." Team made a face but said no further as he happily gobbled down his food. He knew Pharm's sandwich wouldn't last until noon.

 

"Oh, Win, so you do eat a proper breakfast."

 

"Yeah, I thought you only had bread and a cup of coffee." 

 

Three big, tall guys stopped to greet Win. Team glanced at them before raising his hands to wai, paying them respect, thinking they were third-year students. They all observed him with interest.

 

"Got my nong? to eat."  Nong!! It creeped him out. Shouldn't Win be creeped out, too, for calling him that?

 

"Dumbass, haha. You'd better look at your little bro's face." One of them pointed at Team, trying to calm himself with hair standing on end. Win kicked the brat's leg, sitting across from him in disgust.

 

"He's Team, a freshman in the club."

 

"Oh, the one you told us about. Good swimmer."

 

"Great! Do your best, young man. So you'd become Win's successor. It's not every day he takes a liking to someone." The senior slapped his junior's shoulder, whose face was almost pressed against his bowl. Team could only muster a sheepish smile in response and continued to eat in silence until he was done. Win talked a bit further with his friends before they agreed to see him later in class. Once they left, Win reached for Team's chin, bringing his face up.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Nothing." Team brushed the senior off. He raised his hand to pay respect for the food. "What time is your class?"

 

"Nine, like yours. It's not even half past eight. Let's talk." He poured a cup of water for the junior. Team accepted it to drink. His brows were drawn together in curiosity.

 

"Why are you so good at taking care of people?"

 

Win drank his water. He found eating in the cafeteria occasionally nice.

 

"Maybe because I'm the middle child."

 

"Middle child?"

 

Win nodded. "I have one older brother and one younger. Both dumbasses, so I got used to looking after them. My younger brother is years younger than me; he's just in 10th grade. He's affectionate like a little kid. What about you?"

 

Team stilled. "What about me?"

 

"You have siblings?"

 

"..Not of the same bloodline."

 

This time, the Swimming Club Vice President went still. He caught the uncertainty in Team's eyes, making him hold back his question.

 

"I'll tell you something."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I dyed my hair blond and got a tattoo because I wanted attention."

 

Spurt. Team choked on his drink; his eyes went wide as he pointed a finger at his senior, wanting to laugh out loud.

 

"Damn. Are you a kindergarten kid? Ouch!" One hit was all it took to shut him up.

 

"I was just a kid, in my rebellious phase. You get that? My parents were always busy with my older and younger brothers. So, I got undercut hair in 9th grade and was called to the student discipline office. In high school, I got my hair dyed, ear piercings and tattoos." Win shrugged. "Fortunately, I've got good grades, so teachers could only scold me half-heartedly. And I've never caused any trouble. I won a gold medal in an academic contest. I did well in sports for both basketball and tennis."

 

Team rolled his eyes. "Aren't you too full of yourself?"

 

Phawin chuckled, "I mean it. Then my dad realised we needed to talk before I got worse. It was simple, easy-peachy, and we're chummy again."

 

"You guys talked it out, but why do you still look like a gangster?"

 

"Shush, it's about being cool. I like the way I look now, so I'm not going back. Got a new tattoo every year," he rolled up his sleeve, showing off a pattern of chains and thorns wrapping around his arm.

 

"Got one on my stomach...you've seen it"

 

Team tsk-ed, feeling the heat all of a sudden. "I saw nothing." He was drunk, and it was dark.

 

Bam. "Ouch! Why did you hit me?" The young man glared, stroking his forehead

 

"How could you not see? We're in a swimming club."

 

"Oh, right." He saw his senior in a swimsuit every day. He never bothered to see what tattoos he had. He just knew they were pretty and cool.

 

A smirk appeared on the swim club's vice president; he squinted his sharp eyes, as if he were having fun. His tall frame leaned towards his junior; his voice was barely a whisper.

 

"But you were the only one to see a tattoo under my pants."

 

"Fuck you!!"

 

It wasn't every day that Team's face could turn red. He drew back his feet to kick Win, but the asshole senior dodged his kick knowingly. All Team could do was huff and get off the table.

 

"Going to class now!" He put away both bowls. Phawin shook his head. The little brat was rowdy, but he was a good kid. His younger brother had described this kind of person as stubborn and boisterous, but also caring. What did people call this kind of personality? He'd ask his brother about it when he got home.

 

Today's third-year course in international business was chaotic. The teacher let the students form groups and choose a topic to present at the beginning of next month. Since ten per cent of their midterm exam scores were based on it, the students were now stressing over it.

 

"How was the breakfast?" Dean asked, listing down all the proposed topics from his peers.

 

"Good."

 

"He was grinning from ear to ear." One of Dean's friends, who stopped by to greet him in the cafeteria, grimaced. "Saw him eating and looking at the junior before I greeted him. His eyes were so devious." 

 

"How so?" The other friend shot up.

 

"Like he was going to eat that junior whole."

 

"Ohhh." Everyone exclaimed. "Are they cute? What year are they in?" A young man recounted all these, cackled, tears streaking.

 

"First year, but not cute." He got incoherent trying to hold back laughter. That junior's expression was priceless.

 

"So then what?"

 

"Good looking...he'd be handsome in a year or two."

 

"A guy??" Almost all of them stopped what they were assigned to do and turned to Win.

 

"Oh, he's big, taller than some of you."

 

Their classwork transformed into a topic of their friend liking a first-year student.' Phawin shook his head. He looked at Dean's paper and marked a topic he deemed interesting.

 

"Win."

 

"Hmm?" He raised a brow at the greyish-green eyes glaring at him.

 

"Keep in mind that's the kid in the club."

 

"I know."

 

Dean put his pen on the table, his eyes still fixed on his best friend. Win heaved a big sigh and slid the report paper to write it himself.

 

"I know, Dean. I know what I'm doing."

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"Achoo, Achoo, Achoo!"

 

"Gross." Manow made a face, handing Team a tissue.

 

"Filthy!"

 

"Sneeze. What was that about?" Team blew his nose into the given tissue paper, and his nose turned red.

 

"Bless you. Sneezing three times means someone misses you." Pharm laughed lightly and got his neck locked in Team's arm.

 

"You're going, foreigner or Thai. Pick one." Team ruffled his friend's hair, messing it up. Pharm grumbled, running his hand over his hair, setting it back into place.

 

The girls' squeals continued during their chummy interactions. Their photos would be online somewhere soon, no questions asked. Cute boy. T Uni. These first-year students bring us so much joy. Look at them, how adorable. Team and Pharm, first year in Economics.

 

#TeamPharm #Puppy

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

*A photo of Team having Pharm in a deadlock, messing up his hair, was uploaded*

 

Comment: Where did you get this?

Comment: So, what year is the page admin in?

Comment: They're so cute.

Comment: They're so lovely. Always together.

Comment: I saw them at the swimming club. Team's physique is really something.

Comment: Nong Team just turned 18 last month. They said he enrolled in college early.

Comment: They're still growing, my boys.

Comment: Pharm is also cuteeee.

 

Someone once again drew the group's attention, distracting them from their respective work.

 

"Who is this guy?"

 

"The one Win took to have breakfast with this morning." An iPad was shown with a Cute Boy page; the photo was uploaded recently.

 

"This is the guy? He's cute." One of them pointed at the slightly curly-haired guy smiling.

 

"Nong Pharm, isn't it? I saw his photo. Well, he's quite handsome, like a Korean oppa."

 

"No!" Dean broke the silence before Win could even deny the idea.

 

"Eh?"

 

"Get to work and stay focused on it." Dean scowled, but his friends thirsted for more information.

 

"What do you mean, no? Is it that this guy is not Pharm or this isn't the guy who had breakfast with Win?"

 

Before the swimming club president lost it, Win cracked a joke. "This is the guy I had breakfast with." Win pointed at the other young man. They all went silent, staring at the screen. Some of them enlarge the screen for a clearer picture.

 

"Fuck, what a waste." The lady of the group grouched.

 

"What?" Win blurted out laughing. He wanted to tell how late they were.

 

"Isn't he too young for you? Look at the comment, he just turned eighteen three months ago." His friend showed him the comment. Win's eyes widened. He saw Team's profile before, but he never bothered to look at his birthday.

 

"It's alright. At least he's eighteen now." Dean slapped Win's shoulder, but a sweat formed on Phawin's forehead. His mind reeling, despite how proud he was of his brain.

 

"We went to the orientation at the sea two months ago," Dean said out of the blue, twirling a pen in his hand.

 

Phawin heaved a sigh...damn. He almost got himself into jail.