ᑎOᖇTᕼ: ᕼOᗯ ᗰᑌᑕᕼ Iᔕ YOᑌᖇ ᒪOᐯE?

Chapter 29: Looking at you

 

(>> Johan <<)

 

I kept my gaze on the person lying in my arms, still asleep despite the late hour. Their warm breath continued in and out of my chest. The red marks I'd left on their body last night stood out against the smooth, white skin of their neck, visible beneath their collar. I'd intentionally left them there, though I didn't want them to be too obvious.

 

He leaned against my arm, his face close to mine. I pulled him closer, tightened my embrace, and buried my nose in his hair. I gently placed a kiss on his forehead, and if anyone were to look into my eyes at that moment, they would surely know how much I loved him.

 

We've been together for a while now, and everything's been great. I love watching him move around the room, prepare breakfast, go to school with him, come home, and call this place our room. Every time we say goodbye, we share a kiss, and every time we meet again, those kisses remind me how much I miss him.

 

You're the only person whose smile I always want to keep. I love seeing you smile. I love the sparkle in your eyes when a smile blossoms on your lips. You truly bring me joy, even though your personality and even your words sometimes annoy me.

 

This person, even after all these years, still captivates me time and time again. I've always believed that the most attractive thing about someone is their attitude towards life. I'm not someone who sees the world through rose-tinted glasses, but he always views everything with such a carefree attitude. I am grateful that you are always willing to listen to me first, no matter what others say. You will ask me questions, let me explain, and you always tell me everything honestly, no matter what it is.

 

I admit, my past wasn't great. I made many mistakes and didn't care much about the world around me. But you never questioned me or wanted to check my phone; I think you didn't even bother. Even so, if you wanted to check, I have nothing to hide. There's only one thing you'll see: my phone wallpaper is a picture of you. That's all.

And it is your calmness that makes everyone want to be around you. You are my haven of peace.

 

Another thing I really appreciate is that he always puts my comfort above everything else. He once said he blocked contact with his ex-girlfriend from the moment we started dating. If he knew I felt uncomfortable when someone got close to him, he would never get involved with that person again. he even made it clear to everyone that he had a boyfriend.

 

"It's okay, I'm more concerned about your feelings."

 

That was his answer when I asked if he felt uncomfortable with my excessive jealousy. And I also like it when he gets jealous because of me, like that time in the pub with James. But if you're jealous too often, maybe that's not good either. I used to be a ladies' man and never turned down beautiful women who approached me; I was often criticised for rejecting girls who weren't "suitable." But now, I don't care about anyone else. I choose to reject everyone so I can heal.

 

You are the reason I changed. That also shows how serious I am about you, doesn't it? Since we've been together, you've changed quite a bit; you've become gentler and more considerate. He worries about everything, always putting me first in so many things. I realise that, and with that tenderness, I really can't leave him.

I gently stroked his hair, then my hand traced down the red mark on her neck. That mark was proof of what had happened last night. Last night, once again, I felt that no matter how much I was with her, it was never enough. I don't know if I lost control or what, but despite my best efforts to restrain myself, if I hadn't fallen asleep from exhaustion, things probably wouldn't have ended there.

It seems I still want more, much more. But I'll have to wait a little longer, for your body to get used to it.

"Uh..." The other person let out a soft sound from their throat, slowly opening their eyes and waking up with a sleepy expression. Seeing me looking at them, they immediately turned away and turned their back. But their arms remained wrapped around me.

"What's up?"

"...I don't want to talk to you anymore."

"Why?" I asked softly, pretending to be gentle, leaning closer to her. Her face began to flush, then she buried her face in my chest.

"What a hateful person."

"Me?"

"Evil."

"Am I a bad person?"

"Hmm."

"But last night, who was it that…?" Before I could finish my sentence, a small hand quickly covered my mouth, preventing me from saying more.

"That's enough, don't say any more."

I didn't reply, I just took her hand, raised it, and placed a kiss on it. Then, I looked at her with the same gentle gaze as always. I don't know what my eyes looked like whenever I looked at her. Perhaps it was the gaze of someone truly captivated by something, unable to look away.

As for you, you can never meet my gaze; you're always the one who looks away first.

She pursed her lips slightly, as she often did to hide her embarrassment.

"Johan..."

And there's one more thing I like…

When she called my name.

"Yes," I replied, before giving a slight smile. She gently leaned closer and placed her lips on mine. I returned the kiss, a simple touch of lips before she pulled away.

"Have you been awake long?"

"Well, it's been a while."

"What time is it? I have class today." She suddenly remembered something, her face showing a hint of surprise, "Oh no, I haven't finished my homework yet! I'm doomed!"

"Are you okay?" I asked, and she immediately frowned when she heard my question.

"You're such a bad person. I still haven't gotten used to it."

"Yeah, I don't remember anything," I said, feigning indifference.

I sat up in bed beside her. It seemed her hip was hurting again, as it always did. Each time, I wondered what I had done. Although her body seemed to be getting used to it and perhaps it didn't hurt as much as it did at first, I think I went a little overboard last night.

I wrapped my arms around her, showering her cheeks and neck with kisses. Her gentle scent captivated me. She was slightly startled by my actions. The more I saw her embarrassed face, the more I loved her. What I couldn't resist was that, despite her shyness, she still tried to reciprocate by kissing me back.

"Good morning," she whispered, trying to muster some courage. She leaned closer, placed a kiss on my cheek before flashing a sweet smile.

What a lovely person, from head to toe, from actions to words…

...

I took my baby to the Engineering department before returning to the Medical department. I was a little worried because she seemed to have a fever, though not a severe one, and she insisted she was fine, but her "it's okay" didn't reassure me at all. At that moment, I realized that sometimes I unintentionally overreact. Next time, I'll try to control myself better.

I walked into the classroom just as the lesson was about to begin. The teacher seemed surprised too.

"Aren't you late today?" Fah turned to ask as soon as I sat down next to him.

"It's not late, but North is in class."

"If it weren't for class, you definitely wouldn't leave your room," Thit said, sprawled across the desk, looking up playfully. I just shrugged, not replying.

Actually, I never intended to study medicine. Even after graduating, I probably wouldn't have become a doctor because I could have earned more money working from home, and I wasn't too focused on my studies. But in this group, if you don't put in the effort, you definitely won't survive. The studies are getting so difficult that I've had to temporarily stop working from home, otherwise I definitely won't be able to graduate.

The professor lectured for about an hour before excused to attend to some business, leaving the students to complete the assignment on their own.

"There's a competition today. Did you bring your jersey?" Hill asked as we sat together in our group.

"I brought it."

"Playing basketball?" Fah asked. I nodded.

"Competing against the team of…"

"The Faculty of Engineering," I replied. It was currently the school's sports festival, with each faculty taking turns hosting sporting events.

I shrugged indifferently.

"So you still lost to that bastard?" I turned to Thit and said, since he also played football. Besides, Tigre had been the captain for over a year now.

"Damn it, just hearing you talk makes me angry," Thit snapped. "That guy stepped on my face with his shoe!"

"His shoe size is 42, don't forget that."

"I know."

"Yeah, that's fine. There are a dozen people on the team, luckily my group managed to gather enough members to participate. But have the rules changed? Probably not," Hill replied.

"Yes, but my team... you know what I mean, right?" Thit paused mid-sentence.

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Because of the heavy workload, nobody really cared about activities or sports, which wasn't surprising. Only I was constantly busy, juggling both activities and studies.

Oh well, never mind, let's not talk about it. I don't want to get involved in those kinds of things at all.

"Hey, I've left the tennis club," Fah said. I turned around, frowning slightly. I remembered him complaining that the club had some problems.

"You quit?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess that's the best solution."

"Why is that?" Thit asked.

"The girls in the club are arguing over him," I interjected, recalling what Fah had told me, "Why would you even try to flirt with him?"

"Hmm, you're saying that from Johan's mouth?" Thit chuckled. "Now that you have a girlfriend, you can say whatever you want, huh?"

"I can say whatever I want now," I said, raising my eyebrows playfully at them.

"Hill almost had to take migraine medication back then," Fah added, "He complained about you every day."

"Huh? What are you complaining about, Hill?"

"You're terrible," Hill said with a weary sigh. I like it when people are relaxed, like Hill's unhurried demeanor right now.

“…”

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Hill asked, frowning.

"Can't you see?" I pretended to look at Hill with the kind of flirtatious gaze I usually use. Just a slight glance, accompanied by my familiar, subtle smile, was enough.

"You're crazy."

"What?" I replied, and Hill lifted his head from the table and stared at me, his eyes clearly showing his displeasure.

"Now I understand why so many girls are crazy about you, you're such a beast." Thit said, covering his forehead with his hand before bursting into laughter, "Johan, you're a born womanizer. I can tell just by looking into your eyes."

"That's nonsense," Hill grumbled, shaking his head in frustration. "Go do something else."

"What should we do?" I asked again.

"Do whatever you want, as long as you get to work," Hill said, pushing the paper toward me.

"What if I said I just wanted to sit here and look at you like this?" I replied, my eyes still holding a playful glint.

"Damn it. Finally someone's silenced Hill!" Fah laughed loudly, "Now I'm going aboard HillJohan immediately!"

"Don't even think about it. I don't like the idea." I retorted immediately.

"You don't like the HillJohan ship?"

"I don't like having my name at the back of that boat."

I laughed; I really didn't like the way people were talking. What was going on? I was just teasing Hill.

"Hill doesn't mind," Thit said, smiling along.

Hill let out a sigh of relief, but perhaps that feeling had already faded: "This kind of pointless joking around is pointless, why don't you get back to work?"

"I've been bothering you for a whole year, and now you're saying you can't help me anymore?"

“…”

"Go ahead and do it, and I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."

“Johan… *sigh*.” Hill let out a deep sigh. I chuckled at his reaction. There’s really nothing more fun than teasing Hill, “How did I even know someone like you?”

"Come on, we love you so much. Hey Jo, where are you going?" Thit teased, "You don't leave your room unless there's class. Are you that obsessed with your boyfriend?"

"It's more fun being in the room with her than being here."

"That's going too far, you son of a bitch," Thit said, drawing out the word, "But you're right, it's more fun this way."

"Right." I agreed. "Hey, Hill."

"What's up?"

"Did Ter do that?"

"What do you mean?"

"If she wants something, she won't tell you. Instead, she'll save up to buy it herself. She'd rather work to earn money than beg."

"Are you talking about North?" Hill asked.

"So you're planning to be her sugar daddy now?" Thit teased.

"Why is that?" I turned to ask Hill.

"Perhaps it's because she's thoughtful."

"Why be considerate? I want to give her everything."

"I don't know," Hill shook his head slightly. "Neither do Ter. I don't know why she did it."

"So what are you doing?"

"Those two are amazing, very independent," Fah said. "You're wondering why? Is it that hard to understand? They don't love you for your money."

"I'm really upset that she didn't 'exploit' Johan," Thit said.

“If she wants it, I’ll give it to her, anything at all. But the only thing she’ll ever ask for is a 7-Eleven stamp,” I said emotionlessly. That was practically the only thing she’d ever ask for when we went shopping, and when we got stamps, she’d always ask for them. It was sweet, but didn’t she want anything else?

"That's cute," Fah said.

"That's right."

“How’s it been since you started living together?” Fah asked. “What’s North like? Have you ever argued? She seems quite relaxed about it.”

“What kind of person is she?” I repeated the other person’s question while silent, thinking for a moment, “I think she’s a very easygoing person.”

"That kid is really relaxed and calm," Thit said.

“He’s really a very calm person, easily amused, and I laugh when he tells jokes. Even the lame jokes are funny, but I still laugh because I find them adorable,” I said, reminiscing about our time together. Whenever he told a joke that didn’t make me laugh, he’d say, ‘Oh, why aren’t you laughing?’ But North would laugh, and laugh to himself.

"Has she ever been angry with you?"

"Never, probably never until now, have I done anything to make her angry." I said truthfully. She's never really been angry with me, and I haven't done anything wrong. I have nothing to be angry with her about. But I think, if I did make her angry, then I must have done something wrong, but I have no intention of doing that.

"So you've never been angry with each other? Who has never been angry before?" Fah asked in surprise.

"Of course she gets angry, I've seen it many times," I said. "For example, she gets very short-tempered when playing games."

E is easily angered, especially when playing games. I've seen him get angry many times while playing games, but then he calms down immediately. After playing games, he's happy again.

"What about the people around us?"

"They treated each other very normally, everyone was happy. But wait, why are you so interested in my girlfriend, Fah?"

"You're being too possessive. You used to tease Hill about Ter all the time, and now you don't like being teased back?" Thit teased again.

I raised an eyebrow at those words, before the conversation at the table shifted completely.

"Fah, please write this for me," Thit said, preparing to hand the document to Fah.

"Write it down, do it yourself."

"My hand hurts," Thit said, raising his left hand, the one that had been bitten by the piranha. Even though I'd seen it several times before, I couldn't help but laugh. Moreover, he even brought back a medical certificate; he brought it back as an excuse to ask for leave. Even if he takes time off, he'll still have to make up for missed classes; I've missed so many classes already.

"Use your other hand to write."

"I'm not as versatile as you."

"Sigh." Fah let out a slight sigh before taking the paper from Thit and writing for him, "Hey Johan, how's the deal with the money scam on sports day going?"

"I don't know, ask Hill. He's the organizer, right?"

"The person who took the money is the one you're thinking of, Johan."

"I knew it," I said, not too surprised. It's just cheating money on sports day, it's not hard to find someone to do it. It would be difficult to find someone within an entire company, but this is easy.

“We’re working on it; the team has started thinking about how to resolve it. If you want, they’ll return the money to you. But they can’t refund everything because the money has already been spent, so the department will be responsible for the remaining amount. The rest depends on the law,” Hill explained while still writing with his head down.

"Aren't you the one supposed to handle this?" Fah asked.

"No, I'm too lazy to go to court."

"Johan."

I turned around when I heard my name called. I recognized it was a classmate from my department named Baitoey.

"Huh?"

"Toey also wants to join the walk on Sports Day, are there any spots left?"

"Ask Hill and Fah."

"Hill and Fah are already a couple. We need to go in pairs, but we don't have enough people. I want you to be my partner. I wonder if you have time to go with Toey?"

"I'm busy." I refused immediately.

"Are you going over to the Engineering Department?" Arthit teased.

“So, Johan’s girlfriend studies in the Engineering department?” Baitoey said, her face darkening as she looked down at my wrist, where I was wearing a bracelet. “Really? Is it the one you post about on Instagram?” She seemed to be trying to force a slight smile.

"YES."

"Oh... So, are you free this week?"

"I'm busy; I have to represent the athletes and accept awards."

“…”

"Second place," I teased, and Thit scolded me again.

"No time? That's a shame."

"I'm sorry," I said politely.

"Oh, it's alright," Baitoey said, giving a slight smile before walking away.

I turned around without paying much attention. But since Fah was sitting opposite her, he saw me.

"She's crying."

"Really?" I asked, turning around to look. I saw Baitoey running outside and crying to her friends, "I told you my boyfriend is studying engineering. I'm serious."

"I know you're telling the truth."

"She's been pursuing you since last year," Fah said, "Because you gave her hope."

"Me? When?" I asked, trying to remember, but decided not to try anymore because I probably wouldn't remember anyway. If they weren't classmates, I wouldn't remember their names.

"Probably during the first year. While in the lab, Toey apparently broke something, and you paid her 10,000 baht as compensation."

"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Who wouldn't like that? You're so good at spending money," Thit said. "Why did you pay then? You're not exactly a good person either."

"Well, if I pay... then it's settled," I said, about to laugh. No need to elaborate; we understood each other. Why pay if you don't expect anything in return?

"Is that okay?"

"Meat," Fah whispered.

"So you mean you're not interested in dating her?"

“Probably not,” I replied, shaking my head slightly. “Maybe I just don’t like talking to her. I don’t like people approaching me; it gives me a headache, like Hill’s Thanmind, for example.”

"Don't drag me into this," Hill said immediately.

"Now it's Thit's." I remember Thanmind was a sophomore in medical school. She'd liked Hill since high school and followed him through college. Honestly, if it were me, I'd be furious. I don't know how Hill put up with it.

"Not."

"Are you sure?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, "We see you two together all the time."

"I'm just here to give advice."

"Oh, really?"

...

North

"North, why do you look so different?"

"Different? How could it be different?"

"You look more radiant." Phoon's words made me raise an eyebrow and turn around with a surprised expression. We were currently sitting on the ground floor of the faculty building.

The lecturer dismissed my class early, and I had nowhere to go.

"Where did it light up?"

"You look much better since you met Johan," Ikkyu said.

"You guys are exaggerating," I replied.

"So, how's your relationship going? Are you happy in your love life?" Phoon asked.

"Good, very good," I replied, smiling. After being in love for a while, everything was fine for me. When I didn't have to worry about work, I became happier. I talked more, liked to joke around, and enjoyed teasing about all sorts of things.

Most importantly, things like… well, I don’t really care at all. It just feels like one time isn’t enough. Besides, we do it almost every day, I wonder if my body will get used to it? Because sometimes he’s really rough.

I often wake up with pain in my hip and a slight fever.

Everyone says Johan is a womanizer. Even my mother says she knew he was a good guy just by looking at him. But the way he looked at me was a different story; my mother couldn't explain it, but she trusted Johan more. I don't know if they said anything I didn't know.

Regarding work, Johan doesn't want me to do anything; he says he'll take care of it. I don't want him to worry. But I don't want to be completely dependent on Johan. The money I'm spending today is all from my remaining savings, and they're running out every day. I'll find another opportunity to talk about getting a part-time job.

"Oh, there's a basketball game tonight between the medical and engineering departments," Sket said. "North, who will you be cheering for?"

"Well, if I said I supported doctors, would I look like a traitor?" I asked jokingly.

"You're a traitor, you're leaving the department," Sket replied.

"I'm still part of the department. I won't cheer for anyone in particular, just for the general audience."

“You’re going to cheer for Hill and Johan, aren’t you?” Phoon asked. “They can win. I’ve seen clips from when they were freshmen. They play really well.”

"Our seniors are scared," Duean Nao said. "I think the guys in the basketball club have planned and prepared very carefully who will face Hill and Johan."

"So what about your team's football?" Phoon asked Duean Nao, "Last time I went to watch, they won by a very close margin. Should I say the medical faculty is better or Arthit is better?"

“I almost died. Arthit isn’t human anymore, he’s like an animal! At first, I thought he’d get tired after 30 minutes because we planned to play our best against him. We even assigned someone to face him. But an hour went by and he wasn’t tired at all, still playing as if nothing happened.” Duean Nao said angrily, “But as I said, football is a team game.”

"If I compete alone, I'll lose, right?" Phoon asked.

"If Tiger were to play, it would probably be an even match, but I don't know if he'd want to play."

“This guy scores, that guy scores.” I said, “But Ger is a good player, otherwise he would have been captain since his freshman year.”

"Yeah, he's a good player and very friendly to everyone," Sket said. "Has he been this good for a long time, Duean Nao?"

"He's incredibly good. So good that it's annoying. He's been like that since high school."

"So you've known him since high school?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, we met in high school because we were both in the soccer club. Anyway, I was good enough to make the national team," Duean Nao said, grabbing some snacks to eat.

"Come on, if you say you're so good, then it means we can win." At first, I thought there was something wrong with Tiger and Duean Nao, because the drunk guy had called me that day. But judging by their behavior, I didn't see anything strange. Or maybe there's something I'm afraid to ask.

"But how do the doctors find the time to exercise? Hill, Johan, and Arthit are all good at these kinds of things. And what about Tonfah?" Phoon asked.

"Tonfah is a good tennis player, I saw videos of him last year," Ikkyu said. "But I heard from the sports association that the doctor's tennis club is having problems and Tonfah has left the club."

"Oh, really?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I just heard the news too, I don't know if it's true."

"So what's the problem?"

"I heard the club manager likes Tonfah, and then the other girls like him too, so there's a conflict. Otherwise, who would want to leave?" Sket said.

"Being handsome has its drawbacks," Phoon said calmly. "But being the girlfriend of a handsome guy isn't easy either." Then she turned to me, smirking, "That's a big problem, you get stared at everywhere you go. That's what it's like to have an excessively handsome boyfriend, isn't it, North?" She continued to tease me.

"Are you kidding me? Are you tired of living?!"

"It's not boring at all. You look really cute."

"Just relax," I replied calmly.

"Going back to the question of why doctors are so good at sports, why is that, North? Do they play sports? You look quite fit too," Phoon asked again.

"I exercise." I nodded, "Johan goes to the gym and jogs in the mornings."

When he has free time, he usually exercises or wakes up early to go jogging on some days. If he doesn't exercise, he'll lose his figure immediately. He even makes me run with him, and my legs hurt for days afterward.

"Hill exercises too," Ter said. "I think so."

"Do they have six-pack abs?"

"I was just asking, why are you blushing, North?" Duean Nao began to tease.

“…”

"Oh, you probably see that every day, right?" Duean Nao's words made me clench my fists. "So what's the answer?"

"Yes," I replied softly.

"How can a doctor find time to exercise?" Ikkyu asked.

"Everyone needs time, and exercise is great too. It's good for the brain, improves memory, helps with studying, and is good for your health. Otherwise, you'll die from stress someday," Sket explained. I nodded in agreement.

We sat and talked for almost half an hour. Then I went to the gym where the basketball teams were playing. Duean Nao said she wanted to watch because she had nowhere else to go. Ikkyu and Phoon went to see a movie because they had already booked tickets.

...

"There are quite a few people here," Duean Nao said, looking around. Actually, this is the largest arena on campus. Will I be able to find a seat?

"Where should we sit?" I asked.

"Shouldn't you go find your boyfriend first? Maybe he's near the arena," Duean Nao replied.

"Okay," I replied, then squeezed through the noisy crowd.

I thought a regular basketball game wouldn't attract this much attention. It's probably because Hill and Johan are playing. I looked around and saw cameras flashing everywhere. Some of the people holding cameras, whom I recognized as reporters for various groups, were there to take pictures and capture the lively atmosphere of the game to post online.

Duean Nao and I went to the medical team's area. We saw Johan and Hill, wearing their team uniforms, talking to the other members. The coach was also there, probably preparing a game strategy. I turned around and saw Ter sitting nearby, so I went over to him.

"Is this seat taken?" I asked Ter.

"Not yet," Ter replied, quickly moving his bag aside. "This is the athletes' seating area."

We sat down and leaned back comfortably.

"Have you been here long?" I asked.

"It's been a while, I just finished school," Ter replied.

Since we split rooms, I've still seen Ter regularly because he shares a room with Hill. Every time I go to the medical department to see Johan, I usually run into Ter as well.

"Where are Phoon and Sket?"

"They've gone on a date. The young couple wanted to spend some private time together."

"Oh, so those two are actually in love?" Ter asked.

"No, I was just kidding." I shook my head slightly. "The movie theater had a promotion, so they just went to see it together."

"Ah, I haven't seen Duean Nao much lately, have I?" Ter said, turning to smile at Duean Nao.

"Really? How are you doing? You're not living with North anymore, are you?" Duean Nao asked. "I guess you're more relaxed now, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel sorry for a kind person like Ter having to live with someone like North. Now you're free from your suffering, Ter."

"Ter, do you want to stay with me for the rest of your life?" I teased Ter.

"I'm truly no longer suffering or troubled," Ter's words left me speechless; I slumped back in my chair immediately.

"Ha, you two really are a good match. So, are you behaving better now? Or are you bothering Johan again?"

"You're treating me like a child," I replied.

"What about you? Did you dry your hair before going to bed? Don't go to sleep with wet hair," Ter asked.

"North, you can't even dry your own hair?" Duean Nao said, making a teasing face at me.

"Oh my god, now I have time to dry my hair myself," I said irritably. "Before, I was too lazy to dry my hair, so Ter always did it for me."

"It's not needed anymore," Ter interjected.

"What's wrong?" Duean Nao asked.

"Before, I used to do everything myself, but now that I live with Johan, I don't need to do anything anymore because he does it all for me, or we have a housekeeper. I'm really not used to it; it feels like I've lost something in my life."

When I was little, my mother always made me do housework. Anything dirty had to be cleaned immediately, otherwise I'd get scolded, so that's how I developed a habit of keeping things clean. When I lived with Ter, we shared the cleaning. But since moving in with Johan, I don't have to do anything; I don't even have to pay for rent, water, or electricity.

"Don't you like being able to relax like that?" Duean Nao asked.

“I like it, I like it, but I’m not quite used to it yet.” I said, “Ter, how’s work going? Did Hill say anything to you?” I asked because I felt it was easier to talk to Hill than Johan. If Ter went to work, maybe I would have a chance to go back to work too.

"I asked Hill, and he said no."

"Why so?"

"He said he was worried," Ter replied. I heard that and pouted, feeling slightly annoyed.

"You're not allowed to get part-time jobs?" Duean Nao asked.

I nodded in response.

"They're worried about you guys," Duean Nao said.

"That's not the case, Duean Nao," I countered.

“I understand. They don’t want you guys to go out and work, right?” Duean Nao continued, “Then you guys should just work for them.”

"How do we do that?" I asked.

"For example, cleaning the room. No need to hire a maid anymore; you guys can do it yourselves."

Duean Nao's words immediately caught my attention. They sounded reasonable; I could even ask for a salary equivalent to that of a maid or housekeeper.

A little later, Johan came and sat next to me, and Hill sat next to Ter.

"I wonder if I made the right decision to come here? Your eyes are practically overflowing with love," Duean Nao said, feigning a pitiful expression as if he were about to cry. I wanted to turn and tell him to go find Tiger, but I ended up staying silent.

"How are you?" I turned to ask Johan.

"I'm so tired. Hill, can I go home first?"

"No, we have to finish the competition first."

I turned to look towards the Engineering department across the street. There were both seniors and classmates there. Importantly, as always, it was very crowded.

"Are you about to compete?" I asked.

"Not yet," Johan replied.

"Who is North cheering for?" P’ Hill turned to ask me.

"I'll mediate, cheering on both sides," I replied, glancing at the person sitting next to me. Didn't I just complain about him being lazy?

"I can lose to anyone, but I absolutely cannot lose to that bastard," Johan said.

"That name?"

"Yes." He nodded.

I was slightly confused listening to their conversation. Judging by Johan's expression, I realized he wasn't in a good mood at all. Looking towards the Engineering team, I guessed Earth was also playing basketball. Earth was a sophomore in Engineering and occasionally spoke to me. But clearly, Johan didn't like him.

In reality, Earth probably didn't do anything to affect Johan, but Johan certainly didn't like him. That's also why I rarely initiate conversations with Earth.

"Is he here to flirt with her?" P’ Hill asked.

"Not yet, but it's very troublesome," Johan replied, his eyes filled with annoyance as he looked towards Earth, who had been staring at us constantly from the beginning.

"He likes her, doesn't he?" P’ Hill teased.

"Hmm," Johan replied softly.

How did they know? Just by looking, they can tell...?

"Is your fever gone?" Johan asked.

"I'm fine," I replied. He gently touched my forehead, then quickly withdrew his hand. If he cared about me, he should have been gentle... just a little bit would have been fine.

"Then you can still do it tonight," Johan leaned down and whispered in my ear.

His words startled me, and I immediately stepped back a little. I looked at him in confusion, realizing he was teasing me again. Damn it, I really hated that smile on his face.

"No way," I replied immediately.

"Are you sure? You say that every day." His voice was low and soft. The more flustered I seemed, the more satisfied he appeared.

"You love teasing me, don't you?" I pouted, scolding him. Turning my head away in embarrassment, I felt him getting too close, forcing me to move away. Johan always liked to tease me and make me blush.

"Turn around," he said.

"For what?"

"I want to kiss you."

"No... I don't want to!"

"Turn around."

"Hey! Are you crazy? There are so many people here!"

"Who cares?"

Because of the loud noise in the arena, only I could hear his soft whisper. I quickly dodged, stepping back so much that I bumped into Ter. Ter seemed a little surprised, but before he could react, Johan put his arm around me, holding me steady.

"Look... you're embarrassed now," he said with a smug expression.

“…”

"I was just kidding," he said, then suddenly leaned closer. Normally, even when it was just the two of us, I would feel a little embarrassed. But in the middle of a crowd like this, that kind of joke made me so ashamed I wanted to hide.

"Yes," I replied, just as the referee signaled for both teams to enter the field.

"Good luck to you," I said.

"If I win, can I ask you a favor?" Johan asked, his eyes looking at me meaningfully.

"What is it?" I asked, frowning as I waited for him to continue.

"Would you agree?"

"Oh... okay, but what is it?" I answered without thinking much.

He didn't answer, just smiled, then stood up and walked towards the arena. As the two teams lined up to enter the arena, the cheers echoed throughout the stadium, so loud that I had to cover my ears. The sound reverberated in the enclosed space, making everything seem even noisier.

The medical school's basketball uniforms look great, with the department's signature colors. The back of each jersey is printed with the word " Medicina" and the player's number.

"Johan's basketball shoes are really nice," Duean Nao remarked, "Hill's shoes are just as nice."

Since when did he start paying attention to other people's shoes?

"Tiger might wear those kinds of shoes too," I joked.

"He doesn't buy you shoes or clothes?" Duean Nao asked.

"Yes, but I won't accept them. But... I would really like some of them."

"You didn't accept it, but maybe he wanted to give it to you," Duean Nao said. "If you're his girlfriend, I think there are some things you should accept."

"Can you give me an example?" I asked, my voice slightly hesitant.

"Well, just let things happen naturally. Someone who likes you will definitely give you what you want," Duean Nao said casually.

"Okay, let's watch the game first," I replied, then got caught up in the sound of the whistle signaling the start of the match.

I immediately turned to look towards the pitch. Initially, the game was quite slow-paced, but after a short while, I saw Johan and Hill working together seamlessly, each scoring a goal.

I suddenly realized Earth was playing on Johan's team. He looked straight into my eyes and gave me a provocative smile. Immediately afterward, Johan broke free from his opponent's defense, stepped up, and attempted a long throw from mid-court.

The whistle blew, followed by a frenzied cheer that filled the entire arena. Those sitting near me shouted encouragement for Johan, but I was clearly not the only one cheering for the medical team.

"Damn, how good is his skill to score from mid-court like that?" Duean Nao exclaimed excitedly. "It seems like Earth was constantly shadowing Johan, which made him lose his composure and shoot like that."

"That's amazing! I just found out he's so good at basketball," I said, unable to hide my surprise.

The game continued with both teams taking turns scoring. However, the medical team had a significant lead, mainly thanks to Hill and Johan. This led the opposing team to focus their attacks on those two, often closely marking them simultaneously, making it more difficult to score.

Ten minutes passed, and the whistle blew to end the first half. During the break, the players gathered to discuss tactics with the coach before quickly returning to the field. Cheers and shouts echoed everywhere, creating an incredibly lively atmosphere. The match between the medical team and the engineering team was truly intense. Perhaps this would be the deciding match.

Earth, who was still relentlessly marking Johan, started looking at me more often. I looked back, not understanding what he meant. But immediately, Earth turned away, focusing on the match.

The second half ended with a much closer score. I noticed Johan was starting to look a little tired.

He looks even more attractive when he's this tired...

Johan pulled up the hem of his shirt to wipe away the sweat, revealing his perfectly sculpted, six-pack abs. This unintentional gesture further intensified the cheers in the arena. He then casually let his shirt fall back down, seemingly oblivious to its effect.

"Damn it, Doctor Johan, I want you! I want to see more six-pack abs!"

"Dr. Hill, please lift your shirt up. I just want to take a look!"

"They're drenched in sweat, I'm about to faint. It's really unbearable!"

"My favorite moment is when Dr. Johan flips his hair. So sexy, so hot! I'd gladly marry him!"

"But he already has a girlfriend, right? Both P’ Hill and P’ Johan have girlfriends."

"It's okay, I'm willing to be your imaginary wife. I've truly given up, completely lost. Please, just trample on me!"

"Be careful, guys, their boyfriends are sitting right here."

"Oh dear, did I speak too loudly?"

I chuckled softly at the words I'd heard countless times. The girls would usually shout like that, then immediately turn away in embarrassment when they realized I was sitting next to Johan. Anyway, the whole school knew we were dating now. And of course, there were people who didn't like me, even those who mocked me. But honestly, I didn't care.

"How can they be so lucky? I wish I had a boyfriend like that!" a girl shouted, causing Ter and I to turn and look at each other, smiling awkwardly.

"I'll turn my attention to Arthit or Tonfah and see what happens. Please, give me one, is there any way I can get a perfect boyfriend like that?"

"Life would be so much happier with such a handsome boyfriend. I'd see him every morning when I wake up and every night when I go to sleep. When he says 'I love you,' I'd definitely be blown away."

"Oh, that would be wonderful. I'd love to hire a doctor to examine me for an hour. If I were rich, I'd pay just for him to sit there and smile at me. Just a smile would drive me crazy!"

"So, which doctor do you want?"

"Anyone will do! How can anyone choose? They're all so handsome. How am I supposed to buy them all?"

I paid little attention to the noise from the crowd in the stands, focusing instead on Johan walking towards me. His face remained calm, but I knew immediately that he was annoyed.

Oh no, what happened?

"What's wrong with you?" I asked worriedly.

"Why do you have to look at other people?"

"Huh?" I frowned, looking at him in confusion. Before I could say anything more, Johan threw the towel over my head. I pulled the towel down, surprised by him.

"North, look at me."

"Okay!"

"That's good."

"Just looking at me is enough."

“…”

"Do you understand?"

"Understood."

I nodded slightly, a warm feeling spreading through my heart. I lowered my head, hiding my face, which was flushed with embarrassment. Johan was very possessive, but instead of finding it annoying, I actually liked it.

He returned to the court when the break ended. A quick glance was enough to tell that Earth was no match for Johan. He was almost completely overwhelmed. The medical team kept scoring points and ultimately won decisively.

"Their team always wins the championship?" Duean Nao asked.

"Sure," I replied, "They must be exhausted now, having just finished a match."

"So what do we do now? Can your girlfriend even walk?"

"I don't know," I shook my head, then turned back to look at the field and saw the two teams standing in a line.

I heard the referee say something.

"But it doesn't seem so bad," I muttered to myself, unheard by anyone.

Afterward, Johan and I returned to our room. While Johan seemed very pleased with his victory in the competition, I turned around and saw Earth's troubled expression, and I began to wonder if something was wrong.

"Johan," I called his name after returning to my seat.

"Huh?"

"Did you participate in the sports parade?"

"What's wrong?" he asked, before sitting down and pulling me to sit on his lap, just like he usually did on the sofa. Actually, I didn't like this position because he usually started doing something else after we sat like that.

"I was just asking."

"So what if I say yes?"

"Really?" I asked, my face showing displeasure, "Where will you be marching? What kind of banner or faculty badge will you be carrying?"

"Hmm..."

"Are you going with a girl?"

"It's quite possible."

I immediately frowned at him. He tilted his head to hide his expression.

"Is that really true...?"

"What's up?"

“…” I leaned my head on his shoulder, wrapping my arms around him, “I don’t know.”

"Huh?"

"I don't like it at all."

"What's wrong, baby?"

A strong hand slowly pushed me away and lifted my chin so our eyes could meet, but I turned my head and looked elsewhere.

"Look at me."

"You're a cheat. I told you not to tease me."

"I wasn't teasing you. When I said I wanted to kiss you, I really meant it," he said before his lips met mine in a passionate kiss.

Our hot tongues touched, and I returned the kiss. As my heart began to flutter, the sound of a shy kiss filled the air. Time passed, but he didn't let go, a firm hand moving beneath my shirt and slowly unbuttoning it.

"Wait... wait, you pervert."

"So, can you tell me what's going on?"

"You're not the only one looking at him. There are people who like him, and he'll be marching with others."

"Are you jealous?"

"Hmm... This is called possessiveness, very possessive." My words made the person in front of me laugh; he seemed pleased. "I really don't like it when other people look at you."

"These are things we can't control, but just your gaze is enough. Because I only look at you."

I tightened my lips. Some emotions were trapped in my chest after hearing those words. If he hadn't looked at me, I probably wouldn't have realized I'd unintentionally looked at someone else, since I only glanced for a moment and it wasn't my intention.

So why should I care? When Johan's eyes are only on me and my eyes are only on him, that's enough...

"Yes," I replied, silently thanking him. But I'd thanked him so many times already, perhaps there was no need to say more. Everything he did said it all. "So, would you like to march with others?"

"Huh?" The other person seemed to be waiting for me to do something, and with the conditions he wanted to state, what should I do when I wanted to ask for something? So I leaned in and kissed him first.

"Ah." I pulled back the kiss as I felt myself running out of breath. I knew my face must be red. My lips were also a little numb. "You won't join the parade, okay?"

"Okay."

"Yes."

"So now I'd like to ask for my reward," the other person said with a slight smile that made my heart pound. I didn't believe in that kind of smile at all.

"Yes... what is it?"

"You already know that."

"Then you should do it gently..."

"Maybe… but North probably won't be able to come to school tomorrow ;)."