North: How much is your love?

Chapter 23: Waiting for you.

(>> North <<)

The first sensation I felt was pain… My whole body ached. Around my waist and hips, then my mouth; I could tell my mouth was injured again. I winced as I felt the pain spreading with even the slightest movement. After a while, a headache came on, as if I had a fever.

 

I opened my eyes with difficulty, looked around, and saw a fairly familiar room, but no sign of its owner. Looking at myself, I realised I was wearing Johan's shirt but no pants, even though it wasn't necessary, since the shirt was too long and covered me from the neck down to my thighs. Ah… yesterday…

 

I tried to push those thoughts away, but I couldn't. Many images and events kept flashing through my mind. From the moment I returned to the room to Johan's gaze…

 

Damn it, you…What should I do now? How am I going to face him? Just thinking about it makes my heart tremble. After everything that's happened, I shouldn't feel this way. Why is my throat so dry?

 

I tried to get out of bed, but I couldn't. I didn't have the strength to stand up. My hip hurts so much. But it's also your fault; you were too rough with me. It was my first time, and you showed no mercy at all. Why have you never been gentle with me?

 

"Awake already?" I suddenly heard Johan's voice, and I turned towards the sound. He walked into the bedroom, having just showered and shirtless. What… why aren't you wearing a shirt?

 

I immediately turned away. Not only did I not dare talk to him, but I also didn't dare look at him. It was so embarrassing… so incredibly embarrassing. I had seen him take off his shirt once before when he was changing at the gym, but seeing him like this… it was truly…

 

"What's wrong?" Johan asked after I turned away, before sitting down on the bed beside me. My heart wanted to pull away, but I couldn't.

 

"Hmph, I don't want to talk to you anymore," I said softly, pulling the blanket over my face in embarrassment. Could you please put on your shirt first?

 

I was surprised when he suddenly hugged me from behind, my back pressing against his bare chest, and Johan gently pressed his nose and mouth against my cheek, whispering in my ear.

 

"What's wrong with you?"

I clenched my lips tightly before finally releasing them because of the pain. Immediately, I hunched over as a deep, warm voice whispered in my ear, making my heart race. Damn it, why did he enjoy teasing me so much? Seeing me embarrassed seemed to make him even happier.

 

"Could you put your shirt on first?" I whispered. He was still holding me, and he didn't seem to have any intention of letting go. I felt my face flush again. I was so embarrassed I wanted to cry. Could there really be someone like this...?

 

"Why?" Johan asked, pressing his nose against my neck. That alone was enough to paralyse my mind. I didn't know what to say; I'd almost gone crazy last night. And now he was teasing me like this—wasn't he going to give me a chance to breathe?

 

"Why are you like this?"

Why are you always like that?

 

I slowly turned around, and Johan released my hand so I could move. I looked at him, but the moment I looked into his eyes, I remembered what had happened last night. I closed my eyes as I felt him slowly lean closer. He gently touched my lips, just for a moment, then pulled away.

 

"So?" Johan raised an eyebrow and asked, his expression suggesting he was still not satisfied.

 

"Brother... North has a sore mouth."

 

"Mmm!" Suddenly, Johan placed his hand on the back of my neck and kissed me so intensely that my lips hurt. A warm tongue gently slipped into my mouth. Because of the pain, I tried to push him away with my hands. After a while, he stopped kissing me and could taste a faint blood from his mouth.

 

"You… you're terrible," I said, intending to make an angry face at him. Johan chuckled softly.

 

"You want me to be gentler?"

 

"Yes, please."

 

"But if that backfires, I won't apologise."

 

No! Absolutely not, the opposite should happen! Why do you like to tease me like this? You should be concerned about me, not teasing me like this. When I introduced myself like that, I thought he would feel sorry for me, not kiss me like that.

 

My face flushed, my ears turned bright red, and my heart raced. He slowly let go of me and put on a nearby shirt. It was then that I noticed a tattoo on his hip protruding from the edge of his pants. Damned… As I said, I'm sure I'll go crazy for him someday.

 

Johan leaned back against the headboard. He seemed to really enjoy it, and I couldn't deny that I liked it too. He was so warm and could rest his chin on my head perfectly.

 

"Does it hurt?" His voice came from behind.

 

"Yes, it hurts a lot."

 

"Applying some ointment will help. The fever will go away soon."

 

Apply the medicine…

He applied the ointment to me there.

 

"Yes, thank you."

 

One of his hands left my waist and reached out to take mine. I really liked his hands, that is, I liked seeing our hands clasped together. I looked at Johan's arm for a long time, but only now did I realise he had a tattoo.

 

"What are those letters?" I just noticed that. I'm so realistic that I even dream about the impossible. I am someone who accepts reality. I dream of the impossible…Is that so?

 

“This tattoo…” I said, my fingers gently tracing the tattoo on his arm, “What does ‘dreaming of the impossible’ mean?”

 

"I don't know, I just like this quote."

 

“…” I didn’t answer, just silently continued touching it. His arm was full of veins, a testament to his strength. It was captivating, and I knew women loved things like that.

 

And indeed, he was unbelievably handsome. Johan had everything a woman could wish for: good looks, wealth, intelligence, and a fantastic physique. How could one person have all of that?

 

"Why do you like North?" I voiced my thoughts. I still didn't understand why he was interested in me, why me when there were so many better people around him? I knew he could freely choose anyone he wanted.

“…” Johan remained silent. He didn’t answer at all.

 

"That's unbelievable."

 

"Why?"

 

“Well, it’s strange that you like me. So many other people like you, but why me? I’ve been thinking about it for days, and I can’t see anything good about myself.” I said the last sentence with a dry laugh. I’m just an ordinary person; I understand that I might attract attention because I’m not from your world, but I really don’t understand. He let out a soft sigh.

 

"I've loved you for a very long time. You know that?"

 

So… why do you seem so upset? 😭

 

"Hmm..." I pursed my lips slightly, trying to hold back the feeling that was about to burst out. I'm not usually one to overthink things, but I can't just forget about this.

 

"Please, tell me."

 

"What?"

 

"Why do you like me?" I asked.

 

"If I tell you, what will I get?"

 

"What are you asking? You won't get anything out of this."

 

"Then I won't say anything."

 

"Uh... what?" I said sternly, "Tell me."

 

“A kiss, a question,” Johan said, and I realised he was probably chuckling to himself. Did he really enjoy teasing me like that?

Um...

 

"Don't you want to know?"

 

"You're a real negotiator," I said, slightly annoyed, making an angry face at him.

 

"So you don't want to know anymore?"

“…”

 

"If you don't want to, I can't force you."

 

Damn it, this guy…!

I fell silent, realising I had lost. Why was Johan acting like this? The more I realised I was losing, the more he teased me. Ah, my heart is going to break.

 

“So… So, how long have you liked North? How long exactly?” I asked the question I wanted to know. Initially, I intended to ask why he liked me, but I decided to ask later. I turned to look at Johan, who was smiling slightly and not taking his eyes off me.

 

"Do you remember the offer you made earlier?" Johan asked.

 

"Kiss me first, then you can answer the question," I repeated his words softly. Why did he make me say it like that? Why did I have to kiss him before he would answer?

 

I hesitated for a moment, but when he said nothing more, as if waiting for me to do something, I decided to slowly stand up and gently place my lips on his. Johan responded with a soft kiss. He boldly slipped his tongue inside before I could pull away. He moved in, pressed down, and kissed me passionately. His arms wrapped around my waist. We stopped when I felt numb, and a faint smell of blood wafted up.

 

Before Johan pulled away from the kiss, he made a slightly regretful face.

 

"Did you cut your lip again?" I raised my hand to my mouth. There was a little blood on it. Why didn't he seem at all remorseful? My lip was cut, and yet he still wanted to kiss me? 

 

"Ah, it's your fault. Answer the question."

 

"It's been a long time, maybe three years."

 

"Three years? When did you start living here?"

 

"That's a different question."

 

"Damn it…" I said, feeling angry. I couldn't take it anymore; my lips hurt so much. If he kept asking questions like that, I'd surely die. 

 

"Hmm, so what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow slightly. But he just smiled.

Damned.

 

"The conditions you're setting are clearly fraudulent."

 

"If you want to know, just ask, but all you need to know is that I've liked you for a very long time."

 

"Wait... wait..." I protested. "You... you've liked me for a long time, but... why now?"

 

"Another question?"

 

"Yes, that's right."

 

Before I could finish answering, he gently kissed my lips again. This time the kiss wasn't as forceful as before, but soft and slow, creating a tingling sensation in my stomach. It took him a long time before he finally pulled away.

 

"Please answer."

 

"Hmm..."

 

"You're the one who rejected me, aren't you?"

 

I looked at him, completely bewildered. I tried to remember when I had rejected him. Ah… if it was in high school, then maybe it was. Back then, I rejected everyone who approached me, and whenever anyone asked, I always said I had a girlfriend. I never gave anyone a chance to flirt with me, so maybe Johan didn't flirt with me back then either.

 

Johan hugged me tightly, as always. I instinctively leaned towards him and asked, "Let's sort this out first." Being with him made me happy; his familiar scent always made me feel comfortable near him.

 

"Thank you."

Are you satisfied now?

 

"Yes, so… you’ve always liked me?"

 

"Actually, I've tried to forget you many times."

 

"So then..." I fell silent. "Why can't you forget? Why are you still here?"

 

"You're the one who makes me feel that no matter who I am, I still need to love someone. That's why I'm here with you."

 

“…” My heart fluttered at those words. Whether through actions or words, Johan always clearly expressed his emotions. I turned back, smiled, and hugged him a little tighter.

 

"I love you."

 

"Yeah, I love you too."

 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Johan let go of me and stood up, walking towards the door. I felt I could move a little. Ah, it didn't hurt as much now as when I first woke up. I immediately remembered and reached for my phone. I left the event yesterday. Could something have happened?

 

I was surprised by the unprecedented number of notifications, especially on Facebook. Normally, my Facebook is quite empty because I prefer using LINE to chat with friends. But today, so many people added me to their friend lists and sent me so many messages. Most of the messages were along the lines of: "Are you a fan of Johan?" or "Are you friends with Tiger?"

 

Johan is really famous…

A little while later… while I was thinking about the kiss, I received a notification.

 

If it wasn't news from school, then something must have happened. Good or bad, maybe someone took a picture of me. I heard my school's "Cute Boy & Girl" page is back. This is version 2, but I don't really care anymore. I used to follow and pay attention to handsome guys, but I don't need to anymore.

 

I blocked notifications on Facebook without paying much attention, and then, before going on LINE, I chatted with Sket for a bit. He said there was a small problem with the money, and Duean Nao had received many complaints because the total amount was quite short. But Tiger had already paid it off.

Tiger… you’re really a good person 😭

 

Easter: North, where are you?

North♣️ : What's wrong in Johan's room?

Easter: When are you going back to your room?

North♣️ : I don't know either.

Easter: Sorry 😭

: *Send photo*

I'll wash it for you.

 

I frowned slightly when I saw he sent a few pictures. What was it? I immediately understood when the pictures finished loading.

 

North♣️: You bastard.

What did you do to my stupid little duckling 😭?

 

That's the duck in my profile picture. A stuffed animal with a silly, grumpy face. But I think it's cute; it's the only stuffed animal I love. Why did Ter pour cocoa on it and do this to it? 😭

 

Easter: I've already washed it.

: *Send photo*

That's a picture of my silly duck, soaking wet and covered in soap suds.

North♣️: Don't forget to rinse out all the soap.

Easter: Okay, haha.

North♣️ : *Sending sticker

 

Before hanging up the phone, I heard what sounded like an argument. There was someone outside the room. I couldn't hear clearly, so I got up and moved closer to the door to see. As soon as I stood up, a sharp pain in my hip made me slightly unsteady, but I managed to stay on my feet, so I slowly walked to the door.

 

“Johan…” I called out to the person at the door in a low voice. He immediately turned around. He frowned and looked at me for a moment before giving me a displeased look.

 

"Why are you standing up?" he said loudly, immediately approaching me.

“…”

 

"What if you fell?" Johan reached out to support me. I was in pain, but I could still walk, and the pain had subsided somewhat. But seeing Johan's worried expression, I couldn't argue or say anything more.

 

“North, Johan won’t let me in… Ouch!” Prang leaned through the doorway and saw Johan and me. The other woman immediately covered her mouth with her hand, “What’s this sweet scene?”

 

"You can go now," Johan said, turning around.

 

"Oh, I've already brought the food, can't you let me in?" Prang said. She seemed annoyed before looking me up and down. Then she covered her mouth with her hand, "Oh my god, how can you be so charming?"

 

I looked at myself, confused. I was wearing Johan's T-shirt, a loose shirt that covered my thighs, and no pants. And I guess there was a red mark all over my neck.

 

“Sister Prang,” Johan called. His voice was so low it sounded a little frightening, which made Sister Prang smile immediately.

 

“Okay, no more joking.” Prang immediately frowned before Johan picked me up and carried me back to the bedroom. I heard Prang yell from behind, “Okay, can I come in? I promise I won’t look at North.”

 

"Okay, come in."

 

I slowly emerged from the bathroom; Johan had initially offered to give me a bath, but I refused. Finally, I took a bath and put on the clothes that Prang had brought me, which fit me perfectly.

 

"Can you walk?" Johan asked as he came to help me into the kitchen. "You should have let me give you a bath so I could check if everything was alright."

 

"No, no need," I whispered, pouting at the other person. I was afraid I'd be so embarrassed I'd explode.

 

I sat down at the table with Johan next to me and Prang opposite me. Prang had also bought food for me. Occasionally, she would look at us, cover her face with her hand, and close her eyes. Then she would frown and look at us again.

 

"Oh, Johan, what did you do to make it impossible for North to leave?"

 

“…” Prang’s words made me immediately lower my head to hide my blushing face. She said she wasn’t teasing me, didn’t she? I turned to look beside me and found Johan looking at me; he seemed very happy to see me blush.

 

"North, what's wrong? Your face and ears are all red."

 

“Sister Prang…” I drawled, calling her name.

 

"Well, it's because you're so cute, how could I not see you blushing?" Prang continued to tease, still scooping porridge for us. "Oh, I'm so embarrassed, I can't stand it, my little brother has been devoured. Can I get North back from Johan?"

 

"No." Johan immediately intervened. He raised his hand to his chin and looked at Prang.

 

"Look what you've done to his body," Prang said, playfully pinching my cheek. I winced at the slight pain; my cheek was fine, but my mouth was cut. Johan pushed Prang's hand away and looked at her with a cold, sharp gaze.

 

"Oh, are you jealous?"

 

"That's my boyfriend."

 

Ah… what are you saying? You didn't have to say that. You should have thought of me, who's utterly embarrassed. But you just said it without any hesitation. Here's an even smoother translation:

 

"Do you think I wouldn't take this opportunity to tease you? Someone seems to really love their lover," Prang teased, then handed me a cup of oatmeal. Did I really have to eat oatmeal like this? My mouth hurt, so it didn't taste good at all. "Oh dear, your mouth is cut again."

 

Johan raised his hand and gently touched my lips with his thumb.

 

"Does it hurt?"

 

"Ugh, it hurts so much."

 

"Next time, I'll be gentler."

 

I didn't answer, just bowed my head and continued eating my porridge. Should I really believe him? Why did it seem so hard to believe? But anyway, I couldn't resist such sweet words. After a while, Johan's phone rang. He looked at the screen, answered the call, and went outside to talk.

 

“North, I have something I want to tell you, I just remembered,” Prang whispered. Her voice was soft as she leaned closer to me.

 

"Yes?"

 

"Regarding the kiss you just mentioned..."

 

"Dah, what's wrong?"

 

“Johan doesn’t kiss ambiguously or his girlfriends,” Prang said. This made me look up in surprise when I heard, “Have you ever heard of the people who flirt around him? Actually, many people don’t kiss their girlfriends; maybe it’s a natural bodily reaction.”

 

I nodded as if I understood. I used to know someone like that, too. Sex is a human instinct, but kissing isn't just for love, although many people choose to reserve it for that special someone.

 

"North might have been Johan's first kiss."

 

Here's a smoother translation: "Yes." That was all I replied before bowing my head and bringing the porridge to my mouth. I felt my face flush again, and my heart raced as I thought about Prang's words. If that's true, then that's great. But if that's not the case… It's okay too…

 

“Prang,” Johan said as he turned back into the kitchen, “Are you free?”

 

"I have a lot of work to do. What's the matter?"

 

"Please stay with North. I'll be out for a bit."

 

"Do you have to go out?"

 

"Yes, to school."

 

"Going to school?" I asked when I heard Johan was about to go out. He nodded slightly, "Why do I have to go there?"

 

"Go help Hill with the preparations for Sports Day. And there's also the matter of Thit not being back yet."

 

Has Arthit still not returned?

 

"Can I come along? If P’Hill is going, then Ter will surely be there too, right?" I asked.

 

"Ter is leaving, but you have to stay here, you're not allowed to go."

 

"I'll go with you. Prang said she's busy, and I don't want to bother her, nor do I want to be alone. It'll be better if Ter goes with me."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Okay, then that's fine."

 

We said goodbye to Ms Prang, thanking her for the meal and the clothes she bought for me.

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Johan and I went to the medical department. I was wearing a zip-up sweater that went all the way up to my neck and a face mask to cover my mouth. The pain in my hip gradually subsided. I could walk normally, but I still felt some discomfort.

 

The luxury car stopped in the medical faculty's parking lot. Earlier, when we left the apartment, I had seen Johan's Audi and Jaguar in the parking lot. He was the only one who parked under the apartment building.

 

When we arrived at the department, we noticed there were very few people there. More importantly, everyone was looking at me with curious eyes, which made me feel uncomfortable. Before taking the elevator up to the medical building, we went to the cafe downstairs. Inside, there was a private room where we saw P’Hill sitting with Ter.

 

"What's going on?" Johan asked immediately.

 

“Now you’ll come with me to the Sports Day meeting, and after that you’ll see the headmaster and talk to Thit. Otherwise, he’ll be suspended,” P’Hill said.

 

"Damned."

 

P’Hill stood up, causing Johan to stand up as well. We were left alone in the room, just Ter and me. I was still wondering why there were cafes like this in the medical building; it was so luxurious, and the sofas were incredibly soft and comfortable.

 

"Oh, North," Ter whispered. He didn't seem very comfortable. "Ugh... you look like... you two... did *that* yesterday, right?"

 

“Ter, let’s not talk about that anymore,” I remembered when Prang teased me earlier, and I felt incredibly embarrassed. I just wanted to disappear or be swallowed by the earth. 😭 “If you were with Hill, how could you have soiled my stupid duck?”

 

"I went back to the dorm to get something, and I was holding a cup of hot cocoa, but unfortunately, it slipped from my hand," Ter said.

 

"Damn it, my stupid duck. Have you washed it yet?"

 

"Okay, I've washed and hung it out to dry. Hopefully, it will dry quickly."

 

"My poor duck," I said, and the other man chuckled softly, "So Arthit still hasn't returned?"

 

"Not yet," Ter shook his head. "He's been abroad even longer than Johan. Arthit didn't inform us or do anything; he just said he'd be going with Johan, so the principal called a meeting with the three of us, and that's how we found out he hadn't returned."

Ah…

 

"Regarding Sports Day, the medical team found a problem."

 

"What's the problem?"

 

“We’re short on funds for the activities. And that money is in Johan’s name, almost half of it. Hill, the class president, had to hold a class meeting and call Johan in,” Ter explained. I’d heard some information about Sports Day. The medical team had enough money to organise many activities. Rumours say it was nearly a million baht. Everything from the booths to the event supplies was very extravagant each year. And half of that money belongs to Johan? Compared to my department, it's simply incomparable 😭

 

The medical faculty has a very high budget. Therefore, everything here is luxurious and high-end, from the buildings to the learning equipment. Even the shops around the faculty are fancy; everything looks upscale, completely different from the neighbouring faculties.  One thing that caught my attention is that the medical faculty building has four elevators, but the engineering faculty has none. I have to walk up the stairs every day, no matter which floor I'm on. The students' knees are all worn out from all that.

 

Even though the engineers are the ones who install the elevators…

But why doesn't the department have an elevator?

 

"When I called Johan, he said he wasn't coming, that he was too lazy to go, and told me to just ignore him."

 

"Wait a minute, damn it, half a million baht!" I said, frowning. I didn't understand. 500,000 baht, and he doesn't mind?

 

"He said he just wants to be with you today and doesn't want to go out."

 

"Really?" I exclaimed. Damn, why is this happening so often? 😭

 

A little while later, someone came in. We turned around and saw it was Tonfah.

We waved, he smiled and waved back.

 

"Are Hill and Johan in a meeting?" Tonfah asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"It'll be over soon," Tonfah said, then turned to me, "And North, you've agreed to be Johan's boyfriend, right?"

 

"Ah... yes," I replied, nodding to him.

 

"Congratulations on being together! If you need any help, just let me know. I'm a friend of your boyfriend, remember?" Tonfah said with a friendly smile. Tonfah… 😭 He has something special about him. He's so kind.

 

“Fah,” P’Hill called. Both men turned back to their places.

 

"What's going on?"

 

"Damn it, Johan."

 

"Why are you angry?" Tonfah turned to ask Johan, who was sitting next to me and looked visibly unhappy, as was evident from his expression.

 

"Damn it, what a nuisance, what a bunch of dogs. I told you not to talk to those idiots anymore. It's only a few hundred thousand baht. What the hell are they doing stealing money? It would be easier to just hold out your hand and ask me."

 

“It’s not that he’s angry because he was cheated, but that he has to go to the meeting. Damn it,” P’Hill said, trying to put on a sombre face and placing the documents on the table. 

 

“The problem isn’t the money. The problem is that if we let this slide, it will get much worse.”

 

"I knew that's why I came to the meeting," Johan sighed.

 

“Being easily irritated is a sign that you’re in a good mood today,” Tonfah said. Johan shrugged as if he didn’t care too much. Then he moved closer to me, I sat on his lap and wrapped his arms around my waist, leaning against me as he liked. But, here's the thing...Aren't the two of them being too familiar with each other...?

 

"Ah... Brother."

 

My eyes widened in shock when he suddenly pressed his nose and mouth against my cheek. I turned my head slightly, which he seemed displeased with.

 

"Sit still."

 

“I want to retract what I said before,” P’Hill said. “Johan, could you please pay attention to me and everyone around us?” P’Hill’s words made Johan laugh.

 

“He already loves you. But now that you’re his boyfriend, he’ll love you even more,” Tonfah joked. This made my face flush even more, so I pulled away from his embrace and returned to my seat.

 

"Come and sit here," Johan ordered.

 

"I don't want to," I replied softly.

 

"I feel sorry for him, look at all those red marks," Tonfah said. "Johan, take good care of him. You're his first love."

 

"I'm not his first boyfriend." Johan raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly.

 

"Look at you smiling, does it look like you're angry?" Tonfah pretended to be extremely annoyed. "And what about Thit? My dad said he'll give him more time, but he'll definitely be punished."

 

Tonfah's words made Hill and Johan look at each other and sigh.

 

“Johan, have you transferred the money to him yet?” P’Hill asked, as if he had just remembered something.

 

"It's moved, ever since you told me," Johan replied.

 

"How much? Is that enough to buy a ticket?"

 

“I transferred a million dong already. He said he would use it to pay for tickets and other expenses,” Johan said, his voice sounding angry. “If he’s still not back, what has he done with my money?”

 

"I think it's probably the same as when he went to Mongolia," P’Hill said.

 

“Ah…” Johan nodded and chuckled, “Getting closer to nature? Or hanging out with the locals again? How easy is that to read?” His words made me laugh, too.

 

Why does Arthit like the local lifestyle so much that he refuses to go back to Thailand?

 

"Has he done that before?" Ter turned to ask P’Hill.

 

"Yeah, it likes to go looking for something new when it gets a little bored. Once it leaves, it's hard for it to come back. Especially now that Johan has forbidden it from going again."

 

“Why forbid it? If it’s fun, let it go, but the main point is it’s using my money,” Johan complained. “Then it’ll use my money for travel, and a year later, it’ll come back with a child and say that the one million baht I gave it earlier, it used to get married and live in Brazil.”

 

"That's impossible. But if it's Thit, then nothing is impossible, right?" Tonfah said, still smiling at Johan's words.

 

"Have you tried calling him yet?" Johan asked.

 

"I called, but couldn't connect. I tried again, but the signal kept dropping while I was trying to connect."

 

"Sigh." Johan shook his head slightly, looking bored, then took out his phone and made a call. After a while, Arthit answered. Johan put the call on speakerphone so everyone could hear. As usual, it was just noise.

 

"Meat," Johan called.

(Yeah, Johan.)

 

"Where are you?"

(Manaos.)

 

"Still haven't left Brazil?"

(Not yet.)

 

"What are you doing in Manaus?"

(Catching piranhas) The sound from the other side surprised everyone at the table. What kind of entertainment is that? Why would they be catching piranhas?

 

"Manaos? Are you in the Amazon rainforest?"

(Uh.)

 

"How are you?"

(Fine.)

 

"If you're okay, hurry up and come home. Take my money and leave immediately. Thanks to you, the principal called me in for a meeting."

 

(Why are you calling?)

"Why don't you go home? Do you want to get suspended from school?"

 

(Oh, I'll be back today… maybe, I'm not sure if I'll actually be back.)

 

"What?"

(Just a little longer. It's my turn now.)

 

"Your turn?"

(The nurse called me.)

 

"Are you in the hospital? What's wrong with you?" Johan asked in a serious tone.

 

(Yeah, I'm at the hospital.)

 

"What's wrong? Why do you have to go to the hospital?"

 

(A piranha bit me.)

 

Everyone at the table burst out laughing when they heard Arthit's words. How could this happen? What kind of behaviour could lead to a piranha bite? Basically, he was just going to the Amazon, that's all.

 

"How are you? Are you seriously injured?"

 

(I might need seven stitches. My hand is covered in blood.)

 

"Okay, go home now."

(Okay, let me go sew it first.)

 

And then Arthit hung up the phone amidst laughter at the table. What kind of Arthit is he? It's like he lives without a plan, just doing whatever he wants. Hill said he's boring, but I don't see someone like him as boring. No matter how bored I am, I wouldn't think about going to the Amazon River and getting bitten by a piranha.

 

Then the conversation at the table continued to shift while everyone waited for the headmaster to return. About half an hour later, as Tonfah had said, everyone started leaving. Only two people remained in the room: Ter and me.

 

“North, do you want a brownie?” Ter asked, pushing a plate of brownies toward me. He loves sweets. I may or may not eat them, but when I moved in with Ter, I was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy.

 

"No, thank you." I shook my head. It's not that I don't want to eat, but my mouth hurts. I can't eat 😭

 

"Your lips are chapped again?"

 

"Yeah." I nodded, even though I was wearing a mask covering my mouth, Ter could definitely guess.

 

"Judging by how you two were yesterday, it seems like you were very passionate," Ter said, his face full of excitement. "Did he confess his feelings to you at the observatory?"

 

"Yeah, because I said I wanted to go."

 

"That's great, the caption on the photo is sweet too. But the relationship status on Facebook hasn't changed. And Facebook hasn't posted any photos of us together either?"

 

“I don’t know, but should I change it? It’s just a Facebook status update. But a lot of people have started sending me friend requests, like when you started dating Hill. You got all the talk then, right?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.

 

"So, in short, do you know why Johan likes you?"

 

"I don't know," I shook my head. "He wouldn't tell me."

 

"We'll just have to wait."

 

It's not that he didn't say anything, but the question came with conditions. I talked to Ter for a while, then the seniors came back, and we said goodbye. Strangely, Johan came to take me back to the dormitory.

 

"Are we going back to the dorm?" I asked the person in the driver's seat. This road clearly led to my dorm. Normally, Johan would leave me with him.

 

"Yeah." That's all Johan replied before looking ahead. I saw Hill's car following. Ter was also heading back to the dorm. I feel like I'm having a heart attack from being with Johan too much. Please give me some time to breathe 😭.

 

"Oh, why are you parked here?" I asked, surprised. Normally, Johan would park right in front of the dorm and drive away. But now he parked in the building's parking lot, opened the door, and got out. Does this mean Johan is going up to my room, too?

 

"Is P’Hill coming along too?" I heard Ter ask P’Hill, who looked confused and turned to look at me, completely bewildered.

 

All four of us headed towards the dorms. Although Ter and I still didn't understand why Johan and Hill were together, I was even more surprised to find our room door open.

 

Hey… wait a minute! Why did they take my and Ter's belongings out?

 

"What kind of cell is this?" I immediately turned to Johan and asked.

 

"You're going to move in with me."

 

"Oh, my God! What's happening?!" I exclaimed, slightly panicked.

 

“I told you so,” Johan replied simply before stepping into the room, and I followed him. The room now seemed much more spacious. Several people were moving things, packing our belongings. “Why is the room so cramped?”

 

"I told you," P’Hill said as he entered the room, "You've been here before."

 

"I didn't pay attention at the time," Johan said, then sat down in a chair near the table.

 

“Ter, what’s going on? Did Hill say anything to you?” I approached Ter again and whispered the question. Ter remained silent, turning to shake his head. His face was also full of confusion; he probably knew nothing about this.

 

“Hill, North, and I can’t leave yet because we still have the deposit to pay,” Ter said. 

“Or you have to do what we discussed.” It’s clear Ter is feeling uncomfortable with this situation 😭

 

"How much?" P’Hill asked.

 

"5,000 each."

 

"We'll give each of you 10,000," Johan said.

 

"But you can't force us to leave the dorm like that," I said, frowning. The staff member turned to look at us for a moment, then continued packing.

 

"Why?"

 

"Because this is my room."

 

"Yeah, but it's my dorm now."

!!

Why is it always like this 😭?

 

"Excuse me, would you like to pack your personal things yourself? Or would you like us to help you?" one of the cleaning staff asked.

 

“We’ll sort it out ourselves,” Ter and I said almost simultaneously before helplessly beginning to pack our belongings. I packed my personal items and clothes into boxes. What more could I do? Eventually, they bought the dormitory and kicked us out. So I was really surprised 😭

 

“North, what are we going to do with this table?” Ter asked me. This is the table we pooled our money to buy together. Now we have to split up, so what are we going to do with it?

 

"I don't know."

 

"Do you need anything, Hill? Do you need to bring anything else?" Johan turned and asked the person sitting next to me.

 

"No need."

 

"Then just throw it away and keep your personal belongings," Johan said. At first, I thought I didn't need to move, but now I can't imagine what it would be like living with him.

 

When everything was ready, the staff started carrying the things down the stairs, separating Ter's stuff from mine. We still had to throw away the bed; our bed was completely ruined 😭

 

"North, don't forget your stupid duck, it's all dried up."

 

“Ah, that’s right,” I thought. How could I forget? It was an important item, and I had to keep it on my bedside table. I went out onto the balcony and picked up the silly duck hanging there. It was a tiny stuffed animal, not even big enough to hug.

 

"Don't bring it," Johan said when he saw me walk into the room carrying the duck, scolding me just like the first time he saw my profile picture 😭, "Throw it away, don't keep it in my room."

 

"I won't throw it away, it's very important to me, and it's cute too. Please give it a chance," I said, holding the duck up in front of Johan.

 

"Is it important?" Johan asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

 

"Yes."

 

"Why?"

 

"Um... well... it was a present."

 

"And?"

 

“Um, I don’t know what to say…it’s like it saved my life.” I looked at the stuffed animal in my hand and remembered the past. It was my graduation day, and I remember it was the day my world fell apart. It was supposed to be a happy day with friends, but in reality, it was a very sad day. Until someone brought this and said someone had sent it to me. Their face looked a little annoyed, and inside was a piece of paper that read: Smile!

 

When I saw that message, I unconsciously smiled. It felt like someone was still waiting for my smile. Seeing this silly duck made me feel good for no apparent reason. I tried to find out who its owner was, but no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't find them. I wanted to tell that person how much they appreciated it for making my gloomy day better.

 

"Can't keep it?" I asked teasingly.

 

"You like it that much?" Johan asked.

 

"Yes."

 

“…”

He sighed.

"Alright."

 

"I bought you so many things, but why do you like this stupid duck the most?"