Love Mechanics

Chapter 19. Our vibe.

 

[Vee Vivis]

 

I look at the person beside me with a smile. How long has it been since I've smiled with such happiness like this. Perhaps when I broke up with Ploy, or when I messed around with Mark as he was trying to get over Bar, but although I smiled at those times, it wasn't a fully fledged smile. Although I wanted to adore the one beside me, there seemed to be something preventing me from setting my emotions free. But this time it's not the case. The story of Mark and me has evolved.

 

"Uhh..." Mark turns to cuddle against my shoulder. We're not sleeping in the room, nor are we sitting at the beach. We're on the bus.

 

Surprisingly, the one next to me has never used public transportation. He actually wanted to go back by plane, but I outright objected. Doesn't he know how expensive that is, let alone flying such a short distance domestically. Doesn't he realize how eye-opening a road trip can be? What with all the new experiences, the nice scenery, and the mind that wanders along with the movement of the vehicle.

 

"Are we there yet?" Mark sits up properly and turns to ask me.

 

"We've departed just a few hours ago," I answer, prompting him to frown. He looks around both inside and outside the bus, before turning to look at me again.

 

"I told you we should go back with everyone else." He grumbles softly.

"What's the difference? They also went back by bus."

 

"The difference is the atmosphere." The atmosphere he's referring to is a chaotic one, with an auntie at the front talking loudly about her child's future study plan, so loud that we can hear her from the back of the bus. Next to her is a mother feeding milk to her baby. There are children, the elderly, and workers. I look towards the front and turn to the one beside me with a sheepish smile.

 

"It's an experience. Change of atmosphere." I say with a wheedling smile, while the one next to me takes out his earphones and plugs it into his phone to listen to music, ignoring me.

 

"Ya mad at me?" I pull out one of his earphones and whisper the question to him.

"No.."

 

"Then why do you act that way?" I continue inquiring.

"Well...I'm hungry." He says softly, prompting me to hold back my laughter, which leads him to glare at me with a stern look. If only he were to be hungry and make such a cute complaint like this every time.

 

"Here ya go." I scour for some snacks in my bag and hand him some bread and milk that I know he likes.

 

"Why didn't you tell me you had these?" He takes the bread and starts eating it, while telling me to hold on to the milk for him, so I duly open it for him. Mark likes to eat bread together with milk, placing the bread in his mouth first before downing it together with milk. I don't know since when I've been aware of this, but it doesn't really matter, just that I know about it. It's enough to know that I give him my attention—no need to ask for the starting point of such behavior.

 

"You knew you'd get hungry, so why didn't you bring something along?" I ask him.

 

"Well, I thought you'd take me back on a plane." He turns to rebuke me and takes the milk out of my hands to drink.

 

"I'm poor," I reply, prompting him to turn and look at me.

"Why? Ya can't take it that I'm poor?" I ask him teasingly.

 

"Yeah." He replies grudgingly from his throat, prompting me to smile out. He makes an irritated face to me, so I shove his head softly.

 

"Why you..."

"Why I what?" He turns to ask.

 

"So cute." I lower myself to whisper beside his ear, my hand still placed on his head. The person drinking milk chokes, and I have to quickly get him some tissue to wipe his mouth and a cold cloth to wipe his hands clean. The guy next to me turns to me and blinks, his ears reddened.

 

"Enough...that's enough." He pulls his hand back. He puts the waste in a plastic bag and places it near his feet to throw away later. The way he puts away the trash is quite awkward, though that puts a smile on my face.

 

"When you're blushing, it makes me want to tease you more." I confess.

 

"Wait till I get a chance to get back at you." I mockingly nod in acknowledgement in response to his claim.

The relationship between Mark and me has become clearer ever since I allowed myself to violate my own rule. I let Mark in even as Ploy was still in the picture. I felt jealous and possessive of him, though I couldn't say it wholeheartedly. But when Ploy chose to walk away, I chose to not walk after her. It was probably then that I decided to accept him.

 

I felt jealous upon seeing him smiling to others, even though those folks were his seniors or friends. The most obvious was when I saw him with Nuea. It was clear as day that I felt jealous of him. I'm not such a fool as to not know what my heart feels, but a fool for not admitting those feelings.

 

I turn to look at the person next to me, and see that Mark has dozed off again. How come this fella likes to sleep that much? It's not that I did it with him before departing or anything. Just that one time that we did it is enough to keep me satisfied for the entire month. Well, I'm exaggerating. I really had a delightful time, though. I didn't know that confessing while doing it would feel that good for the both of us. 

 

I take out my phone and adjust Mark to lean on my shoulder at a proper angle. He doesn't want me to announce that we're an item yet, and in fact I don't want to tell the world about us either. Whoever I have a relationship with or break up with, it's usually the prying of others who comes to know about it rather than through my own telling.

 

I take a selfie to upload it on social media, intending to let a bit of Mark be seen in the photo. And a little bit of him can indeed be seen, merely his mop of hair and the white earphones that we'd placed on each one of our ears. He listens to a song from a certain western artist whom l don't know of. As long as I get to listen to it with him, I consider this to be a good song.

 

PVnn

4 mins

Let our story be like a journey

23 likes 7 comments

P/nn

 

It's perhaps due to the photo or the caption beneath it that draws in many likes. Ever since maintaining a distance from Ploy, I haven't uploaded a couple photo with clear faces, nor made any updates to my status. I just left it as it is, and neither did Mark say anything about it.

 

Yewaa: Show off.

Futer ForFun: Oh wow! So well concealed.

Kamphan, whose house has a lamp larger than a tank: I don't wanna knowww. I don't wanna know when they did it to each other.

Mu mizawa: Who is it, P'Vee?

Momalina: Is it the same person as the one in the last photo?

Pandora: I don't wanna know who it is, hehe! I've got no clue at all.

Ping Pingsu: So who left who first, P'Ploy or P'Vee?

Northh: Don't rush to make such assumptions about my friend. He hasn't even announced yet that they're an item.

 

Nuea, ya bastard...

I curse to myself once again at the living being I call a friend.

 

Leaning on each other like this indicates that they've done it already, ya bastard of a friend. I press the angry emoticon to his comment before putting my phone away.

 

Rer~

But shortly afterwards I have to take it out again. I break into a smile upon seeing the incoming line. I thought my expressions could convey everything, but not so...perhaps I'll also need to communicate through words.

 

"What?" I ask the person at the other end of the line immediately upon picking up.

 

[What my ass, man...] I flash a smile upon hearing him curse out. Nuea probably got information from Yeewa, or perhaps he may have observed by himself as to who Mark likes.

 

"The fuck's with you?" I keep on smiling thinly while I rile up my friend on the other end of the line.

 

[How the hell did you guys find time to talk?] He says out of frustration.

"And when did you find time to flirt with my boy?"

 

"Uhh..." Mark makes a sound from within his throat, since 1 unwittingly squeezed his hand hard. I get angry whenever I think of Nuea.

 

"Hush~ Just sleep." I release my grip on his hand before consoling him, at the same time caressing the back of his hand, which calms him down.

 

[Where are you guys?] Nuea asks bitterly.

"On the bus." I reply to him.

 

[Take good care of him, Vee. Don't just think of him as a stopgap. Don't date him just because you wanna try something new. I've done that many times, and I'm stepping out of the picture not because I've stopped liking him, but because Mark likes you. If you ever let him go, don't think you can get him back.] Nuea says at length, while I nod along with every word he mentions and make simple sounds of acknowledgment from my throat, so he hangs up the phone.

 

"There's more people who like you than me," I say, before taking his hand and placing it on my lap. I've known just today how serious Nuea is. Thinking of his tone of voice makes me feel like I have to tighten my grip on Mark's hand. "No matter if any other people like you, you'll like only me, right?" I whisper out to ask the sleeping person next to me. He moans softly from within his throat, before falling silent, plunging me into my own thoughts. I don't want just to try something new, and Mark is not merely a stopgap. Even though we're not an item yet, but in my mind I'm clear what we are. 

 

We arrive at the university in the evening, connecting with another bus that takes us to the faculty. I turn to look at the one beside me and sigh out softly. Mark lowers himself down to massage his ankles up to his legs. He massages for a long while, till I feel guilty for having made him go through such hardship.

 

"I'm sorry," I say, as I reach my hand out to stop his massaging hands.

"...For?" He falls silent before asking.

 

"For making you have to suffer," I tell him, as I take his hand and massage it. "I just wanted you to see something different, but didn't think it would make you have to suffer this much," I say, as I massage his hand.

 

"Suffer what? I'm not suffering." He utters softly.

 

"Don't lie to me, Mark. Fuse told me that you're a rich boy, but I didn't expect you to have never gone on a road trip like this before." I say, before placing his hand on my thigh.

 

"Well, then take me on trips more often, so that I can get used to it."

 

The words from the one beside me makes me flash out a smile. I can't stop myself from lifting my hand to rub his hair gently. He looks left and right, prompting me to chuckle.

 

"No one's around," I say, as I set him free.

"So what should we do now?" He asks.

 

"Call your auntie."

"Hmph?"

 

"Yeewa." I really wanna throw away this facial expression of his. When he slants his neck slightly and makes an inquisitive face while purring out like this. It makes me adore him so much, and l've never adored any guy before.

 

"Why don't you call her?"

 

"She might scold me." In fact, I'd already arranged for Yeewa to come pick him up and drop him off at his dorm. She cursed at me, so I hung up. Better to let Mark do the talking, since she'd never curse at her junior.

 

"Hello, P'Yeewa." So polite to her. Why not with me too? I turn away and let them continue their conversation. Mark asked her to come over and pick him up, though he made no mention of me. He acknowledges in his throat yes, yes and tells me to wait for about 15 minutes.

 

"Ya think Yeewa's gonna kill me?" I ask him.

"Well, it's not like you don't deserve it." He replies wryly.

 

"If she does anything to me, you've gotta protect me, got it?" I say to him, and then rub his head as if he were a child.

 

"What for?"

 

"So that you won't be widowed, Mark. If your husband dies, you'll end up as a widow." He turns and looks at me wryly once again, but this time I flash out a little smile since his ears are red. "Blushing again...blushing again now, are we?" I say, before reaching out my hand to scratch his chin, as if playing with a cat. Mark swipes my hand away. He doesn't say anything, but looks the other way.

 

"Why you..."

"Why ya..."

"What!?" He turns to scold me once I graze his ears. Take a step back, though I lean my face into him and softly utter beside the red ear of his.

 

"Cute." I simply say, before stepping away, leaving Mark's face and ears red. If I could see his neck, I'm pretty sure it would be red as well.

 

Honk~

The honking of the car horn makes me flinch and turn to look. Yeewa lowers the car window and sticks out her pretty face to chide me.

 

"Are you guys gonna go home!? Or are ya gonna sleep together here?" That's all she needs to say before we get in the car. I slip myself into the back seat before Mark walks over. He hesitates a bit whether to sit at the front with Yeewa or at the back with me. He doesn't decide where to sit yet, and looks at me anxiously.

 

"Why don't you sit in front?" He asked me.

 

"And why do I have to sit there? Just come sit with me here." I move closer and grab hold of Mark's hand.

 

"I'm not your personal driver, Vee. Mark, come sit with me in front!"

 

Yeewa's words prompt Mark to wriggle free from my grasp and sit with Yeewa. Wait a minute, man...

 

"Separating husband and wife from each other. Karma might make you remain single." I grumble softly to myself, though I intend for her to hear me. Mark turns and glares at me, though it's not as fun as seeing Yeewa motion her mouth up and down, but struggling to find curse words.

 

"Shut that hole in your mouth, handsome. Shall see you off at your house, then?"

 

"No, thanks," I reply, before scouring for some potato chips to munch on. It's my friend's car, so no need to bother.

 

"So where do you want me to see you off, then?"

"My wife's dorm..."

 

"Oh... the same dorm as my junior line here, right? Your wife, who's the pretty Prom Queen?" Messing with me again...! I think to myself and glance at Mark, who doesn't say anything, but chuckles a bit before looking at Yeewa's face.

"I have only one wife at a time." I answer nonchalantly, just to mess with her...though the truth is plain.

 

"Like I believe you, bastard!"

"My name's Vee."

 

"Vee or Ploy or whatever, just go to hell." Yeewa chides, raising her middle finger at me. Oh my~ I might actually go to hell because of your driving.

 

"I nearly died on Mark's chest yesterday."

 

"P'Vee!" Mark calls out my name as soon as I say those words. The handsome face turns to glare at me sternly, while I simply raise my brows at him and glance at my pretty friend. She makes a mumbling motion with her mouth as if wanting to make a retort, though her face is as red as Mark's ears.

 

"When I'm telling the truth, you chide me," I utter softly, and pop a chip into my mouth.

 

"Make sure you're always telling the truth. Don't make my junior sad."

 

"Don't lecture me. Nuea's call already made me well aware of that." I answered her back.

 

"P'Nuea called?"

 

"Just stay quiet, you." I turn to chide Mark, who makes an upset face at me, then turns towards the front as before.

 

"He's really waiting in line to have a poke, I'm tellin' ya," Yeewa says, making my mind so irritable upon hearing her words. I don't know what kind of feelings Mark has, or what kind of expression he makes, but I am determined not to let such a thing happen.

 

"Mark...is only for me to poke."

 

I walk into the dorm with Mark, leaving Yeewa high and dry all by herself in the car. I guess she's probably never had the feeling of getting poked before. Mark leads the way out of the elevator, not uttering a word since getting out of the car. He merely walks silently, as I follow him, not knowing whether he's angry or blushing.

"Mark..." I try calling out to him after entering the room.

 

"Hmm?" He replies from within his throat, though he doesn't turn to face me. He walks into the bedroom and throws his backpack onto the bed. I follow him in, but place my backpack on the sofa outside.

 

"Ya mad at me?"

"About?" He turns around and raises his brows while asking.

 

"In the car," I reply, and stand there looking at his face. He bites his lip before looking down at his feet.

 

"Well..."

 

"If you don't like me saying such things, then I won't." I understand that he's never been anyone's wife, only mine. In the past, he's always been the aggressor, so since he's now on the receiving end, it's natural for him to feel angry upon hearing me rub it in. I do understand him, but my mouth shot out quicker than my brain could think. The words slipped out already.

 

"l..."

"I'm sorry." I walk towards him, pulling him by the arm so he comes close to my body, before pressing his face gently on my shoulder.

 

"I'm not angry." He replies with a muffled voice against my shoulder.

 

"Then why haven't you looked at my face even once since we got off the car?" I ask, at the same time that he pulls away from my shoulder.

 

"Well..."

"Or did you feel shy?"

 

"Well..."

"That's a lotta wells, Mark," I say, as I pressure him with my stare.

 

"...What you said in front of Yeewa." He utters softly, before avoiding me to sit on the bed, though I follow suit and stand in front of him.

 

"So what? It's not like I've never said it before." I question.

"You've never mentioned to others that I was...doing it with you. He says, before looking down at his hands. I flash out a giggly smile, before walking over to hold his hand up.

 

"From now on, I'll say it to anyone who asks. If it weren't out of concern for you, I would've posted on Facebook since yesterday." I tell him.

 

"Telling to just your friends is enough." He says, and looks up at me.

"Yeah, I'll tell all my friends. Especially Nuea. I'll tell him clearly."

 

"You're crazy." Mark scolds me softly, though I instead smile upon hearing his chiding.

 

"You're the one who makes me crazy," I say, and then sit down beside him. He looks at me with a glare that heats my face.

 

"But l've been crazy about you for a long time now."

 

"Why ya little..." I mutter softly, before throwing myself on the bed. I can't help but blush upon seeing the broad back in front of me. His crazy words and glare really have a big impact on me.

 

"Blushing cause of me?" He throws himself onto the bed as well, though he lies face first, using his elbows and hands to prop his face up. Those oval eyes look at me teasingly.

 

"Don't look at me that way, Mark," I say to him sternly, trying to avoid his gaze, but Mark grabs hold of my face. He moves on top of my chest and softly plants his lips on mine, though he doesn't force them. No pulling or sucking, but my heart is pounding. It's pounding because of the eyes that are looking into mine. The calm but clear eyes, by which I can sense all his emotions upon looking back into them. Mark gently sucks on my lower lips before pulling away.

 

"Right now I don't feel sorry being yours." He says near my lips, swelling my heart. I unfurl a wide smile across my entire face, and press the back of his neck down to give him another kiss.

 

We convey our touches and feelings through our mouths. Each motion and suction make me feel elated. What Mark does makes me think that I wasn't wrong to believe in my choice that day. I've made the right decision to forget about Ploy to love him today.