North: How much is your love?

Chapter 2: Duck's Cuteness.

[>> North <<]

Jaja: (New announcement (120))

 

I wasn't too surprised that Ja texted me. I had a fight with Ja's boyfriend yesterday. But sending hundreds of messages like this is something I've never seen before.

 

I opened the message and read it without thinking much. Even if I were scolded or reprimanded, it wouldn't affect my mood as much as that $100,000 debt.

 

Jaja: North, North, North!!!

Jaja: Why aren't you replying to me? It showed "seen" last night! Where did you disappear to?

Jaja: Temp has told me everything.

Jaja: You're still as hot-tempered as ever, and yet you claim you can take care of yourself.

Jaja: Temp said you suddenly started causing trouble, but I only believe half of it because I want to hear it from your own mouth. What exactly happened? I know you have a short temper, but I believe you have a reason.

Jaja: Tell me about it.

Jaja: Oh, by the way, who was that person you were with last night? Can you tell me? Temp said it was a senior from his department. Temp didn't dare to make a fuss because he respected the senior.

Jaja: I've been waiting for you. I was so worried… After all, we're friends.

Jaja: Don't ignore me anymore! Reply to my message!

Jaja: I'm waiting for your reply!

Jaja: I've been waiting!!!

Jaja: *Send sticker

 

Ja's messages were numerous, and when I scrolled through them, I saw mostly stickers. Since we broke up, we've hardly spoken anymore. Now, seeing her use of the old terms "I" and "you" (informal pronouns), I honestly don't like it at all. Why talk like that after we've broken up? I don't know if she's genuinely worried or what, but constantly repeating "we're just friends" only annoys me more.

 

North♣️:…

 

I typed a period and sent it since I wasn't sure how to reply. I also secretly played on my phone a little distance away from Ter because if he knew I was texting my ex, he'd be furious.

 

Jaja: Yayyy! You answered! How was it?

North♣️: It's okay, everything's fine.

Jaja: That's good. Tell me about what happened last night.

North♣️: Whatever Temp says is true.

 

I'm not avoiding explaining; I'm just not ready to say it. If I told Ja straight up that I lost my temper because I saw Temp with someone else, she wouldn't believe me anyway. In front of Ja, Temp is always a good person. Right now, I don't want to think about anything anymore, including Ja's situation or what happened yesterday.

 

Jaja: No way! You suddenly saw Temp hanging out with her friends and then started a fight?

Jaja: That's not right, you know. I know you, just tell me.

Jaja: Temp has someone else, right?

North♣️: You know?

Jaja: No, I was just guessing. Did I guess right?

North♣️: What do you think? Do you trust North?

 

Damn… I accidentally called myself by my old name.

 

Jaja: I don't know. I'm so confused, really. To be honest, I'm a little scared too. I just agreed to date Temp, so if what you said is true, I probably won't be able to handle it.

North♣️: Maybe I misunderstood. I was completely drunk that day.

Jaja: TT

North♣️: Don't cry.

Jaja: Um, *sobbing*

North♣️: How's Temp doing?

Jaja: He got beaten up badly, and so did Temp's friends. They said he hit really hard. Hahaha. Even the people with him, all of Temp's friends, were scared. But who was that person anyway?

North♣️: An older guy I know.

 

But… would it be accurate to call it “familiarity”?

 

Jaja: Oh, a senior from the Medical Faculty, right?

North♣️: Yes.

Jaja: Temp said he probably wouldn't dare go to the department for a while. That guy is really famous, and so are his friends. Since when did you have such a wide network of connections? Haha 

North♣️: No, he's just a friend of my friend's boyfriend's, so they know each other.

Jaja: Okay, I'll go first then, I need to take care of Temp. We'll talk later.

North♣️: Hmm.

Jaja: Can I text you like normal friends? Talking to you makes me feel so much better.

North♣️: …I don't know. I'll answer when I have time.

Jaja: Okay, bye!

"North!"

 

"Ouch!!!" I jumped when I heard Ter's voice from behind, not knowing how long he'd been standing there. Seeing him secretly watching me text Ja, I quickly put my phone away.

 

"I saw it."

 

"What did you see?"

 

"I'm jealous."

 

"Ter, I'm getting goosebumps," I replied, pouting.

 

"Why are you talking to Ja?"

 

"What's this? Are you testing me?"

 

"Yeah, of course. You said you weren't going to talk to her anymore." Ter looked at me with an annoyed expression.

 

"She texted first. She only wanted to talk about me hitting her boyfriend."

 

"So what? Swear to me you won't give in."

 

“…” I remained silent.

 

"There! And you're going out drinking again. I'll beat you up now."

 

"Oh well," I sighed. Thinking about all the trouble I was in, Ja's situation suddenly seemed like the smallest problem. "But I just can't understand Ja. She acts like nothing happened, as if abandoning me was just a minor issue."

 

"Because she feels more comfortable talking to someone like you," Ter emphasised. 

 

He's the one who listens to me the most, just like I listen to him. Ja keeps texting, trying to talk like a friend, and saying she feels more comfortable talking to me. How could she feel more comfortable? We've known each other for so long. It's just that I still can't let go.

 

"But you promised me you wouldn't go back. And when you're strong enough, you have to break up with Jaja completely," Ter reiterated.

 

"Yes, Dad." I nodded.

 

"You want me to remind you of what happened last night? Look how pathetic you are."

 

"No need, just thinking about it gives me a headache." I flopped back onto the bed. "At least it's someone you know, a friend of your boyfriend, so you can talk to them. If I owed money to the mafia, the yakuza, or the bank, it would be much more serious."

 

"Yeah, I'll ask Hill to talk to him for you. At least they won't force you to pay right away," Ter replied, then flopped down onto the bed next to him.

 

"Thanks, Ter," I said, and he seemed a little surprised that I suddenly said that.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Because you worried about me," I whispered. 

 

"What happened this time made me realise a lot of things. At least I know I'm not as strong as I thought. I'm not the type of person who can take care of myself. I'm still childish, hot-tempered, and out of control."

 

"You only just realised that?"

 

"I'm feeling emotional."

 

"You don't need to thank me. Everyone goes through a tough time in their life, and so did I. You're much stronger than you think, so don't overthink it; everything will be alright. You told me that yourself."

 

"What you said makes me want to cry." I pretended to be on the verge of tears as I looked at him.

 

"Your face is really disgusting."

 

"What? I said I wanted to cry. Be gentle."

 

"Don't cry, you look terrible. Call Ikkyu, I told you to call him earlier, but you were secretly texting Jaja."

 

"Okay, Dad.." I dragged out the word, teasing him. Actually, I wanted to say more to Ter, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to hear it since we're both shy. I opened Line and called Ikkyu right away, without even bothering to check what he'd messaged earlier.

 

(How are you, kid? Are you awake yet?)

 

“That sounds so cute. I’m awake, and I still have all thirty-two teeth. My lip and eyebrow are torn, and I’m a bit bruised. It hurts a lot, but I can bear it.” I quickly reported this because I knew Ikkyu would ask, “And you? And everyone else?”

 

(I also got a bruise and a small cut on my lip.)

"What do you mean by 'a little torn'?"

 

(Just a little bit, not too hard. It was a weak punch, what a shame.)

"Oh dear, I'm still hesitant. Do you want more?"

 

(No thanks. Luckily, it's midterm break; if I went to school looking like this, all the girls would run away.)

 

Although it's called a mid-term break, it's actually only a few days off. I'm not sure if calling it a break is even accurate.

 

(Sket was also battered, and Nao was incredibly powerful, sending people flying through the air with his punches. At first, I thought everyone would be more seriously injured, but since both sides were drunk, they fought so fiercely. It looked like they were just wildly swinging their fists.)

 

"So what exactly happened yesterday? I don't remember anything. Ter said you called him?"

 

(Yeah, you told me to call, but he said he couldn't come out because of the storm. Oh, right, Ter only has a motorbike, so he said he'd arrange it. I even thought his boyfriend was coming to pick you up. Who knew...)

 

"Who would have thought?"

(Suddenly, a stranger came in. I froze. He walked straight into the shop, grabbed Temp by the collar, and dragged you off of Temp.)

 

"Why was he grabbing his collar? That's awful."

(Oh, but you were hugging Temp earlier.)

 

"What the hell? Don't use such awful words."

 

(What word should I use? Never mind, I'm too lazy to think. Basically, I'm going to drag you two out. Temp will get furious, ask that guy what he's interfering for, and then he'll be ready to punch you again.)

 

(But that guy grabbed Temp by the collar with only one hand. That scene was so cool. Then he pushed Temp, making him fall over.)

 

(That's scary. Could it be the mafia? And who is it? I forgot to ask.)

 

"The guy I know. Go on."

 

(Then you were about to punch Temp again, but he held you back and told you to stop. You argued back, so he hoisted you onto his shoulder and threw you to another table.)

 

"Huh? Carry me on his shoulder?"

 

(Yeah, you're being too disruptive. If it were me, I'd punch you in the stomach.)

 

"That's intense... And then what?"

 

(The guy managed to stop the two of you, and the owner and everyone else took the opportunity to intervene and stop the others. So the fight was over. He asked me to take the other two home. I nodded, and he told me to go ahead.)

 

(I asked, "Hey, what about North?" and he said, "I'll take care of him." I guess Ter asked him to come, that's why I let him take you.)

 

"You're quite something, aren't you afraid I'll get kidnapped?"

 

(Yeah, I didn't think of that at the time. But he even paid the restaurant's compensation and Temp's hospital bills. You can tell they were demanding exorbitant prices. Actually, Temp wasn't that badly injured, but he still paid, and even gave them extra money to keep quiet. Like, 'You're such a nuisance, take the money.')

 

"How much is 'small money'?" I sighed. It would be better if Johan were a little less generous, because in the end, I'm the one paying anyway!

(Tens of thousands of baht. What kind of hospital fees are so expensive? I just found out. Did they rent a VIP room? Temp is rich, so he probably demanded a high price to get revenge. At first, he even considered reporting it to the police and telling the school.)

 

"Damn it, if we do that, he'll get caught too."

 

(But you started it. Even though you got beaten up more, there were cameras. Deleting the video would cost a fortune.)

 

"Sigh... So what now? Will he tell on us?"

 

(No. At first, he said he didn't need the hush money, but then he went over and said something to Temp, which made Temp's face turn pale, and he accepted the money. I guess he won't tell anyone anymore.)

 

"Sigh... Sorry guys. I've dragged you into this again."

 

(It's okay, we threw ourselves into it, nobody forced us.)

 

"But I was the one who started it."

 

(Yeah, but we still just jump in ourselves. Like Nao, for example, when he saw them ganging up on you, he jumped in and punched them first. I don't know if that's true, but he's even more hot-blooded than you.)

 

"He was probably just drunk. But anyway, sorry and thank you. I won't cause any more trouble."

 

(...)

(Sket, come here and listen.)

 

(What is it?) Sket's voice rang out.

(North said he wouldn't cause any more trouble. Go be a witness.)

 

"You son of a bitch." I glared at him.

(Really? Tell me so I can be happy, little brother North.)

 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll control myself. I won't cause any more trouble. I'll cut down on alcohol... No, I'll try not to drink at all."

 

(I'm happy to see you've changed, but I can't really be happy.) Sket said.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

(You might not cause trouble, but others will. Like Nao, for example, he says you're hot-tempered, but he's even hotter; he doesn't hold back. You should remind your friends.)

 

"You're the same, Sket. Acting like nothing ever happened to you."

 

(There are fewer than two of us. I know you're going to apologise, but it's not necessary. Apologising to Ikkyu alone is enough; Nao and I don't need to. Especially Nao, no need at all. Looking at his completely straight face, I'm completely clueless.)

 

"But Ikkyu won't accept my apology. Why? What's wrong with you guys?"

(I'm getting goosebumps. Let's change it to a toast instead.)

 

"I told you I'd quit. I've cut all ties with the world, buddy."

 

"You really like to exaggerate."

 

(Not really. But he looks familiar, doesn't he? He's a senior from our school?)

 

"Yes. Johan, a sophomore in the medical school."

 

(Oh, a celebrity, right? A friend of Ter's boyfriend?)

 

"Yeah. You know?" Sket is a nosy gossip, to put it bluntly, a busybody. He seems to know everything, so I'm not surprised if he knows Johan, too.

 

(I'm just someone who cares about the news.)

“You're a gossip."

 

(Okay, I'm going to eat now. Oh, and thanks to the person who intervened.)

"Okay, alright."

 

(Kyu already told me, but can you tell me what exactly your relationship is with him?)

 

"He's just an acquaintance of mine."

(That's such a celebrity-style answer. Just say it outright, are you dating someone or something?)

"Pervert. We're just acquaintances."

 

(Yeah, your brother was really fierce. I was a bit drunk at the time, but I remember clearly, the whole place went silent when he walked in, like a murder was about to happen.)

 

(He has a sharp tongue, but he's also very famous. Wow, I wish I could be carried like that too!)

 

"Caught in the act?"

 

(Yeah, he carried you out of the restaurant, as a princess carry. Wow, if it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have teased you.)

 

"That's disgusting. Why carry me? You could just pull me out; I'm not heavy at all."

 

(I noticed that after he put you on the table, you sat for a while and then fell asleep. That's probably why he carried you.)

 

Why does the phrase "put you on the table" sound so strange? It's like I'm some kind of object that people pick up and put down. Oh, and there's the debt issue. It's not something I should talk about, but I want to bring it up so we can discuss it. Anyway, I wasn't planning on asking them to help me pay off the debt. This is my fault.

 

"Uh, well, I have something to tell you, but I'll wait until everyone's here. Nao's just missing."

 

(He's probably gone to play football.)

"Football?! I give up, what the hell is that?"

 

(The blood of a footballer is boiling, you know. Let's go to the dorm, it's been a long time since I've seen Ter.)

 

"Do you remember him?"

 

(I remember. He's still my little wife. Oh my god, his husband probably wants to wash his feet with my blood. Can you please stop saying things like that? I feel like my life is hanging by a thread.)

 

"I know we're just friends, so I'm just teasing, but I'd like to experience that myself once." 

 

I like teasing Sket about Ter because initially, before we even knew each other, Sket said my roommate was cute. He didn't really like him in that way; he just thought he was cute. But when I told him Ter was Hill's boyfriend, his face went pale. So I often like to tease him like that.

 

(Please, North, everyone's misunderstood. The rumours have reached Mr Hill!)

 

"Okay, okay, I'm hanging up now. See you later."

 

(Okay, see you later.)

 

"How did it go?" Ter asked.

 

"Well, Johan came to sort it out for me as expected. Once Johan stepped in to mediate, things really calmed down," I replied.

 

"That's good. I told you, if it weren't for Johan, this wouldn't have been resolved so quickly. Okay, did I tell you to add him on Line and Facebook? Here, Hill sent them to you."

 

"Okay." I obediently accepted the order and followed it immediately. As a debtor, I shouldn't make a fuss, right?

 

"Johan is acting strange," Ter suddenly said.

 

"What's so strange about that? I think your boyfriend is even stranger," I teased. Hill really is strange; from my perspective, he seems unapproachable, but not entirely unapproachable either.

 

"It's strange, but different in style."

 

"Different styles?"

 

“Johan sometimes acts normal because I saw him joking around with Hill. But other times he looks scary. Hill said he gets angry easily, and when he’s angry, Hill doesn’t want to get involved. You see, this morning those two were in the room and barely said a word.”

 

"Yeah, it's really quiet."

 

"He's probably still angry."

 

"But P’Hill, whether angry or not, is still a man of few words."

 

"That's true." Ter frowned slightly. I looked at him helplessly. How many more times do I have to remind him? He's only talking to you.

 

"And then what? What kind of person is he, really?" I asked.

 

"Are you interested?"

 

"You should know a little about your creditors; you might end up in debt for life. Needless to say, if you can't pay, you're doomed."

 

"I don't know, just talk to him. Just talk normally, don't make Johan angry."

 

"So how can I tell if he's angry or not?"

 

"I don't know. You're asking like I know everything," Ter grumbled. "As I said, he has aspects I don't understand. Friends like Johan, Fah, and Arthit know when to joke around and when not to. What was it... A deep, enigmatic personality."

 

"So he's easily angered, right?"

 

"Yeah, probably. Let me ask Hill, and then you add the line."

 

"I already added him, but he didn't accept," I said.

 

“Let me see… Wow, that’s beautiful. This black and white tone suits Johan so well.” Ter said, looking at the black-and-white profile picture where the face wasn’t very clear, “Send a message.”

 

"Wait until he accepts me first."

 

"He'll accept you? Look at that profile picture, it's so stupid," Ter said. Stupid? I think it's cute. I use a silly duck as my profile picture. It's one of my favourite things, and I still keep it on my bedside table.

 

"You're so talkative, you wouldn't understand how adorable this silly duckling is," I said. Wait until he accepts before texting. Although I don't know Johan as well as Ter described, it should be fine. A little while later, the phone buzzed with a message.

"Johan has accepted your friend request."

 

"Hey, he accepted it."

 

Johan: Who is that?

Johan: That profile picture is so stupid.

North'♣️ I'm sorry 😭

North'♣️: I'm North 😭

 

I replied and then went outside to change my profile picture. Why did you insult my duck like that? No one has ever insulted my duck so harshly before 😭 It's such a silly duck!

 

North♣️: Thank you again, and my friend also sends his thanks.

Johan: Yes.

Johan: Everything was fine, and then suddenly I lost hundreds of millions.

North♣️: Yes, I can pay a little later, sir, because I don't have much money.

Johan: Let's calculate the interest.

North♣️: Can we get a 2% profit, sir?

Johan: …?

North♣️:…

Johan: 5%, interest calculated monthly.

North♣️: I don't even have enough money to pay off the principal yet, sir.

Johan: It's yours, so it's your business.

North♣️Oh my god… My dear~ 😭

North♣️: Can it be reduced to 3%? Otherwise, the profit will be almost ten thousand.

Johan: That's a huge reduction.

North♣️: Please, sir.

 

A message from Johan popped up; he read it but didn't reply. Perhaps negotiation is truly impossible now. I owe nearly two hundred thousand, with 5% interest per month, meaning my debt will increase by one million each month.

 

Oh my god, why do I suddenly feel like crying 😭

 

"Ter, comfort me! Johan is a real bloodsucker, incredibly greedy. A vicious creditor!" I yelled at Ter, who was playing games at the table, as I entered the room.

 

"What's wrong?" Ter took off his headphones and turned to look at me.

 

"He charges an interest rate of 5%."

"It's still over 20%, though. He said he'd charge 20% interest at first."

 

"Damn it, I'm not in debt to loan sharks, am I?"

 

"Usually it's around 6-8%. 5% is fine too," Ter said, his face showing no sign of worry.

 

"At first, I even asked for 2%."

 

"What a shameless person."

 

"Hey, don't yell so harshly, I'm feeling weak right now."

 

"Come on, you usually make a lot of money doing your job anyway."

 

"But it won't even reach ten thousand. I haven't even paid the interest yet, let alone the cost of food, rent, and other expenses."

 

"Yeah, let's try talking to him again."

 

"He's very difficult to talk to. He's probably not as easygoing as Mr Hill."

 

"Don't drag him into this."

 

"Are you jealous?" I teased, and Ter sighed in response.

 

"Okay, find a way to apologise to him again, then go eat, it's time to go to work," I said. 

 

I'd been working part-time since high school and continued to do so through college. Ter also worked at a Japanese restaurant on certain days, from the afternoon until late at night. My studies are demanding, but I'm working hard and planning to take on a part-time job. Especially now that I'm drowning in debt 😭

 

"With this condition, can you even go to work?"

 

"It's manageable, the injury isn't too serious."

 

"And you're not dizzy at all? Didn't you drink a lot?"

 

"I have a headache and feel a bit dizzy, but I don't want to take time off work because she'll scold me to death."

 

"Okay," Ter said, then got up to get his shoes. 

 

"Didn't bring your phone?" he asked when he saw me charging it at the bedside.

 

"No, leave it here. I'm afraid of losing it. It's expensive, and I'm not used to using expensive things like this yet."

 

"Really? Okay, let's go."

 

"Hmm."

 

"Oh, right, I was going to tell you, but I forgot. That day, Hill came to see me at the bar, and after talking to me, I told him you wanted to work. Hill sighed and then called Johan," Ter recounted.

 

"What's wrong?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in confusion.

 

"That's worrying."

 

"Are you worried?"

 

"Yeah, I didn't understand either. I don't know what they were talking about. After that, P’Hill didn't talk about work anymore, he just said… just work."

 

"And then you're working while constantly trying to answer messages. If he could be there to take care of you every day, he would have done it," I teased Ter, noticing he seemed to be getting embarrassed.

 

"P’Hill takes good care of things. I like it a lot, but there are so many customers that he's worried I might feel embarrassed."

 

"No way, too many people will be watching."

 

"Are you jealous?"

 

"YES."

“…”

 

"Before, you said you didn't like him and even wanted him to go away," I teased again, causing Ter to hit my hand. "Now you're embarrassed, aren't you?"

 

"Shut up, or I'll make you fall down the stairs and break your neck."

 

"Hey, if you're shy, just say so. Why be so rough?"

 

After finishing our meal, we continued working part-time. Hya, the owner, scolded me for causing trouble, but ultimately let me work as usual.

 

21:32

Johan: (New Announcement (2))

Johan: It's okay, I won't charge you interest.

Johan: But will you do everything I ask?