HEMP ROPE

32.

 

Valentine's Day at the university this year was quite cheerful.

 

People carried flowers and boxes of sweets, smiling. Even Team knew it was February 14th, despite his disinterest.

 

"What did you give to P'Dean?" He asked his friend. Pharm choked on his drink.

"Nosy." Pharm wiped his mouth and turned the other way.

 

"Hmm?" Team narrowed his eyes and smirked at Pharm's red ears. "You gave him something last night, right?"

 

"Fuck!!" The usual polite guy blurted out; Pharm snarled, with a reddened face. "I made him dessert. What were you thinking!?"

 

"Then why are you red?" He poked his friend's cheek, and his hand was swatted away soon after. Whoa, these days Pharm was aggressive, fierce, and being loud to hide something. Where did he get that from? Pharm hesitated before he got out a box of dessert to shut his friend up.

 

"Hey, what's this? So pretty." Team was awed at the pretty, yummy-looking dessert.

 

"Rose allure, try it."

 

As soon as the snack was offered, all else was put behind. Team tried one; the faint candle smoke with the right amount of sweetness made him smile.

 

"Oh, it's not hard. It's delicious, smells nice and soft."

 

"Rose petals are thin. So, I made fresh allure. It might be too sharp for a tongue if baked too tough."

 

"Fresh allure? Is there such a thing?"

 

"Yes, there is. The one's not baked or sun-dried." He handed the box of desserts to Manow and Del, who were taking photos as active social media users.

 

Team kept munching while looking at his friends talking and having fun. The two young ladies held flowers, seemingly from their boyfriends. Pharm was no doubt sweethearting with Dean.... then what about himself? He wasn't a romantic or a sweet person. He did what he pleased. He'd get a headache from overthinking, so he went on Twitter, scrolling until the latest tweet hit him. This!!

 

After the International Strategic Management class was over, the students lingered to discuss their work. A tall figure sat with his elbow propped up, looking indifferently at his friends copying his homework.

 

"Where are you guys dating on this Valentine's Day?" Someone asked cheerfully.

 

"Yeah, I'll take my girlfriend to Asiatique."

 

"I think I'll take her to dinner."

 

"Dean looks like he's just going to make out with his boyfriend."

 

"Screw you."

 

Happy laughter echoed in unison, Win included. This morning, he and his friends in class had the chance to try the rose allure made by Poker Face's boyfriend. They could only stare in envy at the lucky guy.

 

"Nong Pharm is really a good cook. I really envy Dean."

"Really, cute too. I want one like this."

 

"Ai Win, your bestie's having a sweet moment. Don't you have any?" They finally got him involved. Win blinked and shook his head.

 

"There's no damn thing to have." For Win, Team making instant noodles by himself was the best he got.

 

Woosh

 

"Excuse me, is Khun Pawin, the fourth year in the Faculty of Business, Vice President of the Swimming Club here?" A delivery guy poked his head and asked, looking like he had made a mad dash coming here.

 

"This way. He's here." Win's friend helped him out while Win was puzzled.

 

"A delivery for you." The delivery man walked in, opened his square-shaped food container and fished something out.

 

"Fuckkk."

"Sickkkkkkkkk."

 

"Fucking awesome."

"Yabsolutely brilliant, hahah."

 

A bouquet of spicy chicken wings, now popular on the internet, was delivered straight to Win's hands. Its smell made people's mouths water. Looked like it was delivered right after it was cooked.

 

"The person asking me to deliver wants to say Happy Valentine's Day." The rider gave a big grin. He left after his task was over, leaving Win blinking at the bouquet of chicken.

 

"Man, who sent you this?" His friends surrounded him with interest and attempted to snatch a chicken wing before their hands got smacked hard.

 

Win picked up the card attached to the bouquet. He broke into a smile at the cut-and-paste picture on that card. The kid must have asked the vendor to do it.

 

"What? Lay's packet picture. So, who sent you this?" Another friend leaned in.

Dean broke into laughter. He waggled his brows at his best friend, whose eyes glistened. He was now in a good mood; he had been sulky all day.

 

Win pocketed the card, snapped a photo and sent it through LINE to a certain someone. Then, he responded to his friends, beaming.

 

"My boyfriend."

Happy Valentine's Day.