HEMP ROPE

A kind person.

A touch of sensuality on his thigh triggered his rapid breathing. He moved to rub his legs against someone's hips above him.

 

"Faster."

 

A moan accompanied a subtle movement in response to a profound one. Yet it wasn't quite as fast as he wanted.

 

Fwip

 

The figure lying on the bed turned to lead, straddling his hips and grinding it like an animal. He licked his lips and brushed his wet hair back.

 

"Good?" His hands moved upwards to lock the arms of the person beneath him. His nails dug into the tattoo on tight muscles, stirring up his feelings. Wait, a tattoo?

 

"Ah...wait!" The hips that had been moving too slowly before now picked up their pace. It was so violent that his eyes blurred. He clenched his jaw tight, but a loud moan escaped. 

 

"Hia...Ahh...Oh.Don't..Ah!!"

What was in front of him melted, then exploded into glistening stardust.

 

Gasp!!

 

"Goddamn!" Team hollered, his eyes shot wide open. His legs and hands trembled as he checked the time: five in the morning. "What the hell was that dream?" He stroked his chest, calming himself, but the sticky feeling beneath his pants wasn't helping. You can't have a wet dream about Hia! This didn't bode well for his day, as he had to wash his clothes before sunrise. 

 

Team yawned, making his way into a dorm's convenience store. Feeling dead, he grabbed his usual: bread, milk and potato chips.

 

"Gobbling all the junk food right in the morning?"

 

Team jumped out of his skin, then muttered to himself. What were the odds of meeting the subject of his dream in the morning!?

 

"They're for lunch," Team quipped.

 

"All the sodium," Win nagged.

 

His own basket carried two rice balls, boiled chicken breast and a medium carton of milk. They were better, at least in terms of nutrition. "You're coming to train today?"

 

"Ah...Yes." Team half-heartedly answered. He meant to avoid training all day just to prevent seeing the person he had wet dreams about.

 

They were the only two customers in the store, standing side by side before the counter, waiting for the clerk to heat their food. No more words exchanged; they busied themselves with their phones. The atmosphere was so awkward Team didn't want to look at the senior. Win noticed the fatigue on the junior's features. 

 

"...Did you sleep well?" He reached out to touch the visible dark circles on the other's face. "If you don't have enough sleep, how can you swim for the best timing? We'll be having a tryout soon."

 

Team frowned, pulling the other's hand away. "I know. You always complain like my dad."

 

Phawin's brows raised. His hand shot up to ruffle the little brat's head, shaking it from side to side, ignoring the holler.

 

"I'm nagging because I'm worried."

 

"Yes, Dad." The sarcasm ticked Win. His feet itched to kick the younger man. Win shook his head. This kid was a handful. "Yeah, Dad or husband, take it how you will."

 

"Hia!" The 'husband' knocked him off balance. Whoa, it seems Hia wanted some.

 

"Stop! Go get your food." The swimming club vice president pointed at him, looking stern. He dipped his head towards the store clerk hiding behind a cashier's counter.

 

Team huffed. He turned to make the payment but found his items had already been paid for. Not only that, but his bag also contained yoghurt and other healthy foods.

 

"Eat better and grow up, kid," Win said before waving goodbye, leaving said kid confused at the spot. Team groaned, but his eyes softened. He cursed Win while his hands crumpled the bag.

 

"Damn. Acting all overly generous."

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Tmp

 

An orange basketball hit the backboard, spun and dropped nicely into the net. The applause reverberated through the gym, drowning out the creaks from the players' sneakers. The first-year Economics student Team was full of energy. It wasn't even eight o'clock when he ran up to his friend in the basketball club, wearing sneakers, and joined in the game for some burnout.

 

"So tired." Team's sweaty body lay on the ground, spreading his arms and legs, puffing for breath.

 

"What did you get this morning? Why are you so hyperactive?"

 

One of the basketball club seniors nudged him with his foot. As far as he knew, Team was a swimming scholarship student. But his skills were no less in other sports; Team did them all.

 

"Just working out, building muscles." Team pulled up his shirt, smacking his six-pack abs, inciting screams from the girls sightseeing young men in the morning.

 

"Aren't you going to your swimming club? Win will attack our club, blaming me for kidnapping his little bro."

 

Team stilled as he recalled his case. A month ago, he secretly played basketball with the basketball club for many days. It went on until Win came to retrieve him. The swimming club vice president's ferocity then became the talk of the town.

 

"I'm going, but in the evening. Every day." Team's laugh was dry. He wouldn't admit he skipped morning practice. Out of nowhere, a cold, wet sheet dropped on his face. Team cursed. "Shit."

 

"Go take a shower." A familiar voice brought a smile to Team's lips. Pulling back a wet sheet, he saw his best friend sitting next to him.

 

"Hungry."

 

"Food before anything, huh? Get up then, breakfast's over there." Pharm pointed to the stand where a backpack and boxes of food were.

 

Team shot up and asked to use the basketball club's restroom. He emerged later with a fresh smell of soap and sat where Pharm was waiting for him. Today's breakfast was a clean meal, featuring roasted salmon, riceberry, boiled vegetables, and other side dishes. He was almost in tears as he ate them. Paying Pharm to cook for him every morning was the right call.

 

Pharm liked cooking; Team liked eating. Team transferred a set amount of money to Pharm every week so his friend could cook whatever was within that budget. Morning became his favourite time. The food from the convenience store was just a snack.

 

"I thought you had a swim workout in the morning." Team was startled and quickly excused himself, "I didn't sleep enough for today; I didn't want to swim."

 

"Not enough sleep?" Pharm studied his friends and spotted dark circles under his eyes. "Did you keep playing a mobile game at night?"

 

"That's slander," Team disputed, taking a spoonful of salmon. "There's just something I have to think about."

 

"You can tell me anything." Pharm was smiling from his lips to his eyes. "Team and Manow always listen to me. I'd do the same for you."

 

Upon that angelic smile, Team threw himself at his best friend, ruffling and messing up Pharm's hair while his friend yelled.

 

"You're such a good person."

 

"Good person, my ass." 

 

The good person was kicking and pushing until Team surrendered and went back to eat happily. It was like he teased Pharm just for the sake of it. Pharm scowled as he smoothed his clothes, but when he looked up to find Team's eyes on him, they both laughed it off.

 

"You look like you just fought with a dog."

 

"Yeah, it was an awful dog," Pharm grumbled, stacking all the empty plastic boxes in the bag. Team would clean them later at noon. Team lay down, showing off his belly, stuffed. Despite being scolded for it, he just smiled. Team rolled left and right before he asked his friend absentmindedly.

 

"Pharm, how do you think Hia Win is?"

 

"Hia Win? We never really talked to him, huh?" Pharm pondered.

 

A few of their conversations with him were short. "But I've heard lots about him. He's nice; he always looks after the others. Lots of girls like him." All these he heard from Manow, who was an expert on guys.

 

Team hummed in response. He thought about the yoghurt in his bag, which he meant to eat as a snack before lunch. A nice guy, huh?... He laughed. So nice of Win to even look after a one-night stand partner.

 

Today's last class ended quite quickly, but the students stayed for a meeting about an upcoming Open House. Under the Faculty of Economics building was a multi-purpose courtyard now full of first-year students dividing their tasks with their seniors.

 

"Having only exhibition boards to look at is way too boring." The third-year senior looked at the documents, but it was of no help. They, too, had no idea what to do.

 

"I heard the Faculty of Arts has a game."

 

"Yeah. I think the Faculty of Communication Arts got a celebrity to attract people in. It's uh...Alex, the one from the multi-colour channel."

 

"Oh, is that so?" The senior's face turned sour. They needed to address their event boards. "Somebody suggests something?"

 

Team looked up from his paper. They were passing the paper around to order drinks via the application. It seemed like a long meeting; refreshment would do them good.

 

"Jot down any drink for me." Team dropped a paper to the friend next to him and raised his hand.

 

"How about we hire Thai Desserts Club?"

 

"What is the dessert for?" The senior scratched his head. Team pointed to his confused friend sitting next to him, quick to promote his best friend's talent.

 

"Pharm's in Thai Desserts Club, and he's very good at it. What if we get this club to come up with some unique Thai desserts? Visit our boards to earn points and get the desserts."

 

Team's goal was, of course, to eat free desserts.

 

"Oh, that's interesting. Pharm, could you talk this out with your club president?"

 

Pharm bared his teeth at Team before calling his club's president to ask about it. Once the time and budget were agreed upon, everyone discussed how to organise the board and a potential menu for the Thai Dessert Club.

 

"Why are you sulky? Isn't it good? You get to promote your club."

"Then come help me bake on the day." 

 

Pharm wanted to get back at the culprit, but Team just looked away.

 

"Sorry, man. I gotta help the swimming club with its own promotional activity." Team shrugged. His club talked about dunk tank boys. They had to decide who would be the lucky guy. After the topics were done, they divided into groups to work. 

 

Team volunteered to load materials and organise the board. Since he couldn't stay on that day, it was best for him to contribute to the labour.

 

"Refreshments are here!"

 

His peer's voice called out, hands holding plastic bags of milk tea, no less than ten cups, as well as bags of snacks.

 

"Who ordered all these?"

 

"Croissant. Who ordered a croissant? Hot damn, this one looks so good."

 

The hungry students dove into their snacks. Team took a nice-smelling Nutella croissant and a yummy-looking boba milk tea. He took a large bite of a croissant before popping a straw into his milk tea and drinking heartily.

 

"Ahh, so good. I never tried this flavour." Team looked at the cup in his hand. It looked like typical boba milk tea. Soft and sticky boba, but something was off.

 

"What did you get me?" He turned to his friend, who was drinking the same drink.

"I don't know. But it looked good on the menu. Just drink it." Team frowned. He saw Pharm happily drinking the same thing. Maybe there was nothing to it.

 

At nine in the evening, the university's area was lit with lights from faculty 

buildings where the students were working on their activities. The students were staying late, especially near the open house. Not to mention the Faculty of Architecture, where spending nights at the university seemed a likely prospect.

 

Phawin, the Swimming Club Vice President, was the last person to close the club's door. The big guy wearing a simple T-shirt and sweatpants stretched his arms. He ambled along the grassy field, greeting his friends who were playing football along the way. Win was heading to his big bike. The man checked his chat app, expecting a specific message, but it wasn't there.

 

The young man shook his head in discontentment. The brat hadn't shown up for training since morning. He must be punished with a 2,000-meter swim or more. Win made sure of that.

 

Win frowned at the parking lot's dim light. The idea of suggesting more lights in the area to his friend in the student council crossed his mind.

 

"Keep yourself upright."

 

Win stopped short of fumbling for his bike key. He searched for the source of the voice.

 

"Hmm, I'm good." A babbled voice responded, "Students got drunk at university... what a way to put one's foot in it."

 

"Damn, Team. Stand up straight! I can't carry you. I can't put your car key in."

 

"What are you guys doing?" A tall figure leaned on the white Japanese bike, watching his junior waddle.

 

"P'Win." Pharm's eyes went wide before his small frame went sideways when Team leaned on him. "Team!!"

 

Strong arms grabbed the junior before they could flatten each other to death. Win held Team in his arms as he looked at the other junior.

 

"Nong Pharm, are you ok? And why is he this drunk?"

 

"Team got drunk from boba milk tea."

 

“Huh, come again? "What?"

 

Pharm gave a dry smile. "Boba milk tea. Our friends in the faculty ordered them randomly, but the one Team got was Kahlua milk tea."

 

"Kahlua, the coffee liquor?" He studied a drunkard in his arms and rolled his eyes. "How come they put so much liquor in it?"

 

"No, no, no. Other students drank it too, but no one got drunk except..." He pointed to the red-faced, wasted Team who couldn't even walk straight now. "Team must be a deadly lightweight."

 

"Hmm, I'm not drunk, just dizzy." Team hollered but couldn't even keep themselves upright. He barely stood, still holding onto his senior's shoulder. "Damn, I will not drink boba tea anymore. Woozy." After that, Team just put all his weight on his senior.

 

"Don't get too cosy. Where's your car key?" Win smacked Team's hip with a thud. Team just crawled on him like a reptile.

 

"His key is here." Pharm handed him the item. "Are you going to drop him off?"

 

"Yeah. We live in the same dorm." Win remembered his junior's car very well. They helped Team get in the car, followed by Pharm poking his head in to chide Team before he went home. Phawin took off in the car while eyeing his incapable junior in the passenger seat.

 

"What a lightweight you are. I have to leave my big bike back there."

 

"Nghh, shut up. Who knows, there's alcohol in milk tea." Team turned its back on Win, blocking his ears. 

 

"You're the only one who got drunk. You skipped your swimming workout, and now you talk back?"

 

Team made a face. "You said to take a rest, so did I."

 

"Oh, so did you? Heard you were shooting basketball in the morning."

 

The guilty junior sweated. Damn, whose big mouth was it?

 

"You know? The basketball club captain is my friend at the faculty. You told me 

you'd come in the morning, but you didn't. You should text me next time; I won't complain."

 

"There's no need." The swimming club had no attendance record. Not every student showed up for training all the time; only training for competitions was subject to an attendance record. Win exhaled again. He slowed the car to a stop at a red traffic light. The team was still facing the window, turning their backs on him. It was quiet between them, except for a low hum of the car engine.

 

"Because it's you." A big hand reached to touch Team's head, swaying it lightly like

usual.

 

"So, I'm worried." Team closed its eyes without saying a word. Hia is still as kind as ever.