Lately, It's Winter Season.

Chapter 51 - We are not the same, we are.

At first, I was quite worried about the internship because I didn't know if it would go well, but after more than a week, everything went smoothly. The only thing that wasn't smooth was sharing a room with North. We'd lived together quite often before, but never been together for almost twenty-four hours a day like this.

 

Actually, North is a good roommate. He's clean and tidy, and willing to cook while I do the dishes. We take turns cleaning the room. In general, everything is fine… except that we don't always get along. And here's a typical example:

 

"North! What kind of shampoo did you buy?" I yelled while washing my hair in the bathroom.

 

A moment later, North's voice came through:

"It's just regular shampoo, what's wrong?"

I frowned, picking up the shampoo bottle to examine it again.

 

"This is conditioner! No wonder it didn't lather! My hair is so soft and smooth, damn it!"

 

"Oh, I must have taken the wrong one."

 

"Oh, my god..." I muttered, vigorously rubbing my head to rinse out the conditioner. I'd run out of shampoo, so I'd asked North to buy me some, but he only bought conditioner. Now what? My hair's going to be greasy all day at work. After washing my hair, I took out my body wash.

 

"Northhhh!"

 

"What else?"

 

"What the hell did you buy?"

 

"It's body wash, of course."

 

"I know! But why the cold kind?"

 

"I bought it to try because it was newly released. What? Don't you like it? They even say it's a new, improved formula."

 

"It's freezing!" I groaned, trying to scrub quickly and rinse off because I'd never used a shower gel that was this cold before. Even though I was showering with warm water, I was still shivering. After getting dressed, I had to crawl under the covers because I was so cold.

 

"Oh my god, North, what the hell did you buy? I'm freezing to death!"

 

"That cold? Shower gel that makes you want to crawl under the covers?" North burst out laughing.

 

"But wrapping myself in a blanket won't do any good! I'm already cold from the inside out! What if I catch a cold? You've gone too far."

 

"Then you try it."

 

"Okay."

 

After North finished showering, we both ended up huddled under the blankets, shivering from the cold shower gel. It was a while before we dared to leave the room to go to work.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Since my internship, I've realised this company is truly excellent. Both the people and the management system are superb. Everyone works professionally, is always ready to support one another, and no one takes advantage of others or blames others when mistakes occur. If there's a problem, everyone sits down to find a solution instead of blaming each other. That makes both North and me very happy to work here.

 

"North," I said, sitting in the car.

 

"What?"

 

"I'm really craving soy milk."

 

 "Okay, once we've parked the car, you go buy it."

 

"No, the restaurant near the company is terrible."

 

"I think it's delicious, and convenient too, no need to pull over."

 

"It's not good," I retorted. "I don't like the fried dough sticks there; they're too dry."

 

 "Huh? Were you talking about soy milk just now? Why are you bringing up fried dough sticks?"

 

"Soy milk should be eaten with fried dough sticks, right?"

 

"Who said that? It doesn't matter if we don't eat together."

 

"But most people eat together."

 

"Do you have any research to prove that?"

 

"Good heavens, who would bother researching this? This is common knowledge! People eat fried dough sticks with soy milk every morning!"

 

"I used to sell soy milk too, but not all customers bought fried dough sticks."

 

"But I like eating together!"

 

"So why didn't you just say from the beginning, 

 

'North, I want soy milk with fried dough sticks?"

 

"Oh my god! You're such a nuisance! Alright, fine, I want to have soy milk and fried dough sticks somewhere else, not the shop near the company."

 

"No. I'm too lazy to pull over. Do you know how difficult it is to park on the side of the road? I almost failed my driving test because of that parking."

 

"Okay, fine, if the shop is near the company, then it's near the company. We're arguing like this just because of soy milk and fried dough sticks."

 

"Oh, remember to buy more shampoo and body wash this afternoon. Remind me so I don't forget."

 

"YES."

 

When we arrived at the company, we bought soy milk and fried dough sticks before starting work. At lunchtime, we ate with our colleagues in the department, and left work on time. On the way home, we stopped to buy personal items as we had discussed this morning.

 

"This company is really good," I blurted out while North was choosing shampoo.

 

"Of course. It's Jo's company," he replied. "Do you want to buy anti-dandruff or anti-hair loss products?"

 

"I don't have dandruff."

 

"My friends complain a lot about their internship companies being exploitative, giving them unfair work, and requiring constant overtime. But here, everyone is nice, and nobody bullies me. The senior staff are also very helpful and supportive."

 

"That's just how good companies are," North replied. "Would you like to try their cooling shampoo?"

 

"Okay, I'm really scared now."

 

"By the way, do you think the fabric softener you're using smells good?"

 

 "That's alright."

 

"Should we try a different scent?"

 

"The old bottle isn't even empty yet."

 

"I agree, but I don't think it smells very good."

 

"It's not necessary," I said. "Just washing them clean is enough."

 

“No, no!” North shook his head repeatedly. “Someone like me can’t accept clothes that are just clean; they have to smell good too. Hey, this one’s on sale.” North frowned thoughtfully. “It’s fourteen baht cheaper than that other one. Hmm, worth a try. Isn’t there a buy-one-get-one-free deal anywhere?”

 

"Choose one that isn't too expensive."

 

"I'm looking. Leave the money-saving and bargain hunting to me."

 

Okay.I waited a while for North to choose something she liked. Once back in her room, she immediately started arranging her things in the style of a 'diligent housewife'.

 

"Is Jo coming today?"

 

"Um... no, he's coming over tomorrow. And what about Ger?"

 

"He's busy too."

 

"Ah."

 

Afterwards, North cooked dinner. I have to admit, his cooking skills are quite good. After eating, we played games for a while, then went to bed.

 

Around 1:30 a.m., I woke up with a start, at the same time as North, to the doorbell ringing. I looked through the peephole and saw Tiger and Jo standing outside the door. I opened the door, still bewildered. Tiger immediately rushed to hug me, while Jo did the same with North.

 

"Baby, I miss you so much."

 

"Oh... you're so late? It's already 1:30 in the morning." I gently returned the hug.

 

"We just finished work."

 

"Then why don't you go back to your room?"

 

"Because I missed you." Tiger nuzzled his head against my shoulder, his voice choked with emotion, "Huhu, I guess the spell I cast on you the other day backfired."

 

I pulled him into the room and closed the door. We hugged for a long time before Tiger finally let go. Looking over there, I saw that Jo was doing the same. He was holding North tightly, not letting go, only he wasn't as clingy as Tiger. When Tiger finally let go of me, I led him to the sofa.

 

"You're all cold, let me make you something warm to drink."

 

"Yes."

 

I went into the kitchen, and North followed me in a little while later.

 

"What are you planning to do that's so warm?"

 

"You want it too?"

"Yes, make it for Jo."

 

"I'm planning to make hot cocoa."

 

"Give me another glass."

 

We each brought out a cup of hot cocoa, placed it on the table, and were immediately pulled into each other's laps. Tiger hugged me tightly, burying his face in my shoulder and rubbing against me. Looking over, I saw they were doing the same thing.

 

"Why did you two arrive at the same time?" I asked.

 

"We met in front of the building," Tiger replied, "We've both just finished work."

 

"Oh, what a coincidence. But you have to wake up at five in the morning tomorrow, so why are you here?"

 

"That's right."

 

"What about Jo?" North turned and asked.

 

"Me too."

 

"Oh dear. Then go to bed early, you won't have enough energy to drive tomorrow," North pouted.

 

"Hmm."

 

After finishing their cocoa, they finally went back to their room. Our apartment has two bedrooms, just in case Jo and Tiger come to visit. But North absolutely refused to have his own room because he was afraid of ghosts. Everyone knew he couldn't sleep alone, even though every night he worried that I would sleepwalk.

 

"Tiger," I called.

 

The person who had just stepped out of the bathroom, with only a towel wrapped around their waist, turned to look at me.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"North said Nao sleepwalks all night, but why did you say Nao doesn't sleepwalk?"

"Hmm?" Tiger raised an eyebrow. "You just turned around a little, that's all. It's cute, right?"

 

"Just a little bit?"

 

"That's right."

 

"So every time Nao sleepwalks, you get kicked and punched all the time, right?"

 

"Your feet are as soft as a cat's paws, so comfortable I could barely feel anything."

I didn't answer, I just frowned and tilted my head in confusion. When Tiger finished getting dressed, he sat back on the bed and hugged me.

 

"Are you tired today?"

 

"Not tired at all," I answered honestly. "How about you? Working so late must be exhausting, right?"

 

Tiger tightened his arms around me a little more.

"I'm not tired anymore."

 

"Okay, let's go to sleep."

 

"Yeah." Tiger let go of my hand so I could reach out and turn off the light, then continued to hold me close.

 

"Sleep well, I love you so much."

 

I closed my eyes: "I love you again."

 

Tiger leaned down and gently kissed my forehead before we both drifted off to sleep.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

In my drowsy state, I was startled awake in the dimly lit room by a rustling sound. Looking over, I saw Tiger changing clothes. He turned to look at me.

 

"Oh? Did I wake you up? Sorry."

 

"It's alright." I sat up in bed, rubbed my eyes gently, and then looked at the clock. It was five thirty in the morning.

"Are you leaving for good?"

 

"Yes, if we don't go now, we won't make it in time."

 

"You've only slept for a few hours. Can you even drive?"

 

"It's okay. I'm used to it."

 

"Can't I just not go?"

 

"Huh?"

 

"I'm worried about you," I said truthfully. "You've only gotten a few hours of sleep, you worked late yesterday, and you had to drive too. It's very dangerous."

“…”

 

"Am I being too selfish...?" I mumbled, "But you're the only one I have, so if something happens to you, what am I supposed to do...?"

 

Tiger sat down beside me, stroked my head, and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead, his eyes filled with affection.

 

"Yeah, so it's okay if I take a day off, right?"

 

"Really?"

 

"YES."

 

"Okay, then I'll go back to sleep."

 

"Okay." Tiger changed into more comfortable clothes and lay down to sleep with me. 

 

"Tiger."

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Don't do this anymore. Driving all the way here late after work is unbearable for your body."

 

"But what if I miss you too much?"

"Yeah, what should I do...?" I unconsciously pouted, "Not being able to be together is so annoying. I want to see you, I miss you, but I don't want you to have to drive all the way here when you're tired."

 

"Yes, I thought so too."

 

"It's even better than I expected."

 

"What does that mean?"

 

"I miss you, and I worry about you more than I realise." I sighed softly, "I think I've been bewitched by you."

 

"Haha, if it were a spell, I'd be hit by the backlash too."

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

When I woke up, it was already six thirty in the morning. Johan hadn't gone to work yet, and when I asked North, I found out he'd kept him there because he was worried. The reason was exactly the same as mine. After breakfast, North and I had to go to work, leaving the two of them in the room.

 

“Promise me you’ll get plenty of rest. The moment you step out the door, you have to climb into bed and go to sleep, understand?” North instructed. Johan looked at North affectionately and nodded in agreement.

 

"You too, Ger. Get plenty of sleep, okay?"

 

"Understood! Have a good day at work, both of you. North, drive carefully."

 

"Okay, okay," North waved, "I'm going now. You two stay here and don't argue."

 

"Ha ha ha." I laughed at North's remark, "I'm going to work, Ger."

 

"Okay, remember to video call me at lunchtime."

 

"Absolutely."

 

I smiled and waved, and Johan also smiled sweetly as he saw North off, but as soon as the door closed, we both immediately wiped our smiles and went back to our rooms, having promised to rest.

I woke up again around nine o'clock. When I went out into the living room, I saw Johan sitting on the sofa playing on his phone.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Check the stocks."

 

"Ah..."

 

"Hmm."

 

“…”

“…”

 

I went into the kitchen to get some water and saw a pile of unwashed dishes, so I washed them. Afterwards, I checked around the room to see if anything needed tidying. Seeing that everything was in order, I went back to the sofa, stretched, and took out my phone to kill time.

 

The room was silent. The atmosphere was completely different from when North and Nao were here. I scrolled through Nao's photos on my phone and smiled involuntarily.

Why is he so adorable?

 

"Hehe."

“…”

"Hehehe~"

“…”

"Hehehe, so cute. Is there anything cuter than him in this world?"

“…”

 

"Honey, why is my boyfriend so adorable? What do you think?" I held up my phone to Johan, who was sitting on the sofa next to me. "Look, he's so cute when he's chewing his food."

 

"Nonsense," he replied without looking at him.

 

"What do you think Nao is doing?"

 

"Go to work, what else?"

 

"Was anyone bullying me?"

"How come you didn't know? Didn't your boyfriend tell you anything?" Johan asked. 

 

"North told me everything."

 

"Nao told me everything!" I said proudly, "I was just worried."

 

"YES."

 

"This guy."

 

"What?"

 

"Let's go check it out! I want to know how Nao's internship is going." I suggested, 

 

"Don't you want to go see North?"

 

"I just went there the other day."

 

"How is it?"

 

"That's normal. North seems to really enjoy the job."

 

"What about Nao?"

 

"I don't know. I didn't pay attention."

 

"You won't even bother to look around for me?" I pouted in frustration. "I really want to go. Take me there!"

 

"Go by yourself."

 

"Outsiders aren't allowed in. You have to bring me in."

 

"Okay," Johan readily agreed, "I'm free anyway, so it would be good to go check out North."

 

"Yeah! Let me go change my clothes."

 

"YES."

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

After changing, we left the apartment building. I sat in the passenger seat, and it was my first time riding in Johan's car. Soon, we arrived at the company.

 

"How did you get in the other day?"

 

"I went to check on the work the other day, so I took the opportunity to stop by and see North."

 

"Did you meet?"

 

"No," he shook his head slightly, "I'll just be observing her from a distance because North won't let me see her."

 

"Ah..." I nodded, understanding. If anyone in the company knew that North and Johan were a couple, it would be quite troublesome. At the very least, some people would feel awkward and uncomfortable treating him like a normal intern. North certainly wouldn't want that and would want everyone to treat him the way they did before.

 

"But just looking from afar won't last long; how can you really know anything?"

 

"So what are you going to do?"

 

"Let's go check the security cameras, honey!"

 

“Good idea. Agreed.” Johan nodded without much thought. When the car stopped, we went into the company and were warmly welcomed. Johan went straight to the elevator and pressed the top floor button.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"Let's check the work first," he replied. "We need to act naturally. It would be strange to demand to see the security camera footage as soon as we arrive."

 

"Well, what about you?"

 

"You'll follow me as my assistant. Sit quietly and wait for a while while I go to the meeting."

 

"Okay."

I sat on a sofa in a large office waiting while Johan discussed work with another man. I didn't care what they were saying; I was just bored to death. The meeting didn't end until almost half an hour later. After that, we went straight to the security room. The security guard looked confused, probably worried that something serious had happened. Because if it wasn't a big deal, someone of Johan's calibre wouldn't need to personally check the cameras.

 

"Nothing's wrong. I just want to see room number three of the equipment design department."

 

"Yes, please wait a moment."

 

"Turn on the big screen. And you continue with your monitoring duties as usual."

 

"Understood, sir."

 

The large screen, which had been displaying images of the main lobby, now switched to the electronics design room. I glanced around for Nao, and it only took me two seconds to spot him. Nao was sitting intently, his brows furrowed with a serious expression. He seemed very focused on his work.

 

"What do the interns here have to do?"

 

"Mostly paperwork," Johan replied, his eyes still glued to the screen, "And learning from the instructor."

 

A little later, Nao got up to photocopy some documents and handed them to the person sitting opposite him. Then he went to get some water, and as soon as he returned to his desk, he was called away again. He seemed really busy. I unconsciously frowned when I saw Nao talking to a man for so long.

 

"Hey, it's been almost ten minutes! What the hell were you talking about with your boyfriend for so long?"

 

I was about to stand up, but Johan grabbed me by the collar and pulled me back.

 

"What are you doing?"

 

"Go punch that guy."

 

"Are you crazy?" Johan let go of his hand. "It was just a conversation, that's all?"

"He's trying to woo Nao."

 

"It's just a work-related discussion."

 

"Hmph, I'll keep an eye on him to the end." I sat back down, but soon the person next to me also intended to stand up. I immediately grabbed his hand.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

"Go and issue a warning."

 

"What warning?"

 

"That bastard has been talking to my boyfriend for too long."

 

"Are you crazy?" I said. "It could just be about work."

 

"Ten minutes! Can't you just summarise it?"

 

"If you leave, it'll cause a huge fuss. Sit down, nothing has happened yet."

 

"Uh-huh..." He sighed and reluctantly sat down. His eyes narrowed as he intently watched the screen. "Did he touch North?"

 

"Huh?" I narrowed my eyes as well, "No."

 

"Did you hold hands just now?"

 

"No, no," I insisted firmly. This is footage from a security camera; the wide angle makes the quality poor.

 

"Calm down, man—Hey! This bastard is harassing Nao!"

 

"It's just delivering documents, right?"

 

"He touched his hand!"

 

"It must have been accidental. Handing over documents and having your hands touch isn't a big deal, is it?"

 

"But the other day, North was only lightly touched and you made such a fuss about it?"

 

"Because I value my things."

 

"I value my things too."

 

"Yeah."

"Yeah," I repeated.

 

So we continued staring at the screen for hours on end, clenching our fists and gritting our teeth. First, Johan would pull me back down when I stood up, then Johan would pull me back down when I stood up. This cycle repeated itself until the security guard sitting nearby looked at us with utter bewilderment. Just as lunchtime arrived, both our phones rang simultaneously. We split up to answer them.

 

"Honey, are you taking a lunch break already?"

 

Nao smiled sweetly at me.

Oh my god… so adorable…

Tiger's heart has melted again...

 

(That's right, I'm having lunch with some colleagues from the department. What about Ger?)

 

"I'm about to eat too."

(Cooking at home? Ordering takeout or eating out?)

 

"Probably… um, ordering food delivery would be more convenient. By the way, you…"

(Hmm?)

 

"Is anyone in your department acting strangely?"

(What do you mean?)

 

"Like, did someone like you or try to flirt with you, or did someone do something inappropriate to you?"

 

(No, there's no one here.) Nao chuckled softly.

"Surely you didn't fail to notice?"

 

(No, not at all. Like right now, when I'm calling you or texting you, if anyone asks, I always say I'm talking to my boyfriend. There's nothing to worry about.)

 

"Are you sure?"

(Certainly.) Nao nodded. (Go have lunch. I'm going to eat too. Goodbye, see you this afternoon.)

 

"Yeah, by the way, where are you eating?"

(The Japanese restaurant next to the company, as usual.)

 

"Okay. Enjoy your meal."

(You too.)

 

Then Nao hung up. I turned and saw Johan heading towards the elevator. Without saying a word, we both understood our next destination was the Japanese restaurant next to the company. Because it was lunchtime, the place was crowded, and we easily sneaked in without North and Nao noticing.

 

"Do you think we look like those stalkers who've been secretly watching security cameras ever since?"

 

"It's not just a resemblance, it's exactly like that."

 

"Yeah, that's true."

 

I ordered my food, but my mind was completely elsewhere. My eyes were fixed on Nao, who was happily having lunch with his colleagues. Was that guy sitting opposite Nao up to something? Why did he choose that seat? And the person next to him… Oh my god, someone's giving Nao water! Is he up to something? Wait a minute! Someone's talking to Nao! What are they talking about? Oh my god, I want to jump in and sit with them!!!

 

"Are you okay?" Johan asked.

 

"I'm about to go crazy, honey."

 

"What's up?"

 

"Because my wife is so adorable!"

 

"You're going crazy because of yourself," Johan said, taking a sip of water. "Calm down, look at things objectively, don't let jealousy cloud your judgment."

 

"Okay, okay..."

 

"Hey, do you think the guy sitting opposite North looks suspicious?"

 

"What's wrong, brother?"

 

"So what is he doing sitting opposite my wife? I'm wondering if he has any ulterior motives."

 

"Honey..." I called, "I think we'll both go crazy and die before our wives finish their internships."

 

"I think so too. Learn to stay calm, kid."

 

"You're the same way!!!"