North: How much is your love?

Chapter 29: Looking at you.

(>> North <<)
I was a little excited to bring Johan home. By the time I arrived, it was almost evening, and my house wasn't particularly large or spacious. It was divided into two parts: the front, where I lived with my mother, and the back, which belonged to my aunt. They had separated and were living with my uncle as a family. My aunt had an older son in high school named Night and a younger son named Non, who had just been born.

 

Initially, I planned to visit Johan's grandparents before returning home, but it seems they weren't home. Johan's mother arrived this morning and left a gift for my mother. Before parting, she gave me a big kiss on the cheek. She said that if I was going to see his grandparents, it would be better to wait to see his father first.

 

In short, next time I'll be seeing my grandparents and dad all at once. Just thinking about it makes me feel suffocated. But what worried me most was how my mother would react if she met Johan. I hadn't sent her a picture of Johan yet; I thought it would be better to meet him in person. A luxury car pulled up and parked in front of the house. I got out and rang the doorbell. After a while, my mother came out looking as if she had just taken a shower, with a towel draped over her shoulder.

 

"Oh, North, you're back?" my mother exclaimed, surprise on her face.

 

"Yes, Mom told me to come home on Saturday and Sunday."

 

"Huh? Did Mom say that?" I could only think, how could Mom forget so quickly? Then she went to open the door, "And whose car is that? Why is such a fancy car parked in front of our house?"

 

"This is Johan's car, Mom told me to bring my boyfriend home. Did you forget?"

 

“…”

 

My mother's eyes widened as she watched the luxury car pull up in front of us, then drive in and park in the yard. We have space for two cars; one is my uncle's, and the other is empty.

 

"Oh my God, how many millions is this car worth?" My mother came closer and asked. I shook my head slightly as if I didn't know, "I have to remind Artl to drive carefully to work tomorrow, what if he scratches this car?"

Artl is my uncle.

 

"And what about you...?"

 

My mother fell silent as she saw Johan get out of the car. She raised her hand to her mouth and let out a soft gasp of surprise.

 

"Oh my God…"

 

"Mom..." I chuckled softly at the words of the person next to me. To be honest, my mother may look like that, but she's surprisingly youthful. Even at the end of the alley, you'd know where she is.

 

"Your boyfriend is so beautiful, North. I'm about to faint."

 

“Calm down, Mom,” I said, taking her arm. She acted as if she were really about to fall, but when Johan turned around, my mother immediately regained her composure. She took the towel and draped it over my shoulder. Wait a minute, Mom… why is this towel wet?

 

"Hello, miss," Johan said, clasping his hands together in greeting. My mother greeted him back politely. Why is Mom so friendly to him? I'm the one who should be welcomed.

 

"My mother sent this to you, ma'am."

 

He gave her a blue paper bag with a very beautiful pattern. I don't know what was inside, but if it was prepared by Jin's mother, it certainly wasn't ordinary.

 

"Thank you, but there's no need for all the fuss about gifts," she said with a sweet smile, taking the bag of presents. Then we went inside and sat together on the living room sofa.

 

“North, come here and give me a hand,” my mother said. I went into the kitchen to help. 

 

“What snacks should we prepare? Is there anything in particular that the boy likes?”

 

"He doesn't like snacks, but I do, so please take that."

 

"This isn't for you, it's for that boy."

 

"What's that?" I frowned in annoyance.

 

"North."

 

"Yes."

 

“Why is your boyfriend so handsome? Is he really your boyfriend? You’re not lying to me, are you?” My mother still had the same excited expression that hadn’t gone away since meeting Johan. “My heart is really racing.” She placed her hand on her chest, her face beginning to flush slightly.

 

"Yes, he's my boyfriend."

 

"Really? He's so handsome, is he a celebrity? How did you manage to win him over?"

 

"No, he came to flirt with me."

 

"Oh dear," she sighed, as if disbelieving me, "He's dressed so nicely. Should I go sweep the floor? I'm afraid the floor will get his feet dirty."

 

Oh my god, was that really necessary? 😭

 

"It's not that bad," I said.

 

"He's really handsome, I can't believe it. When North came to show him off, I felt like… Oh, my heart was going to burst. Are you sure he's my son-in-law? He's drop-dead gorgeous." All I could do was smile.

 

I brought water and snacks to the living room table. My mother was sitting on the sofa next to Johan and moved closer. She watched him and then sat down on the sofa opposite him.

 

"Your name is Johan, right? Can I call you that, Mom?"

 

"Yes, okay."

 

"You're in your second year, right? You're one year older than North, aren't you? So, what do you think of North?"

 

"Naughty and very stubborn."

 

"North, don't be so stubborn with the boy."

 

“Huh? I’m not being stubborn.” I yelled a little when Mom suddenly scolded me; being a good child would kill me. I turned to look at Johan before he shrugged as if he didn’t care.

 

"North was stubborn and even got into fights when he was little; he was really fierce. If he wasn't fierce, he wouldn't be North."

 

"Yes." Johan smiled slightly. You don't need to tell him that, Mom. Just saying this alone would get me scolded to death😭. "Was he very stubborn when he was little?"

 

“Well, he’s very stubborn.” My mother set her glass of water down. She was ready to badmouth me. “Before, he used to get teased all the time and always came home with bruised knees and a head injury. I solved the problem by sending him to boxing classes.”

 

“Boxing?” Johan raised his eyebrows, slightly surprised by my mother’s words, “You know boxing too?” Then he turned to look at me.

 

"That was back in high school."

 

Parents handle bullying differently and use many ways to deal with it. But my mother dealt with it by sending me to boxing classes.

 

"Yes, North used to be a very capable person," Mom said, laughing. "He's following in his father's footsteps."

'Yes, Mom. Dad's blood is very strong, that's why I'm so resilient.' I thought to myself.

My mother continued, in a playful tone, "At school, they compete to see who's the strongest."

 

My mother used to say that she first met my father in high school. They went to the same technical school nearby. That technical school is now closed. Once I asked my mother, "Mom, what was it about Dad that impressed you?"

My mother replied that she couldn't find the answer herself. They dated, and after graduating from high school, neither of them continued their education because they lacked the money. Their grandmother didn't have the funds to support their mother's studies. Both their mother and aunt stopped at the twelfth grade.

 

Then they worked for about two years, and then I was born. My mother is only 38 years old now. When someone asks, "Why is she still single when her son is already so grown up?"

My mother replied, "Well, I'll be getting married soon."

Every time I think back, I still laugh. There were still people who, without knowing better, tried to flirt with my mother.

 

"Everyone who had problems with North dropped out of school. My mother wondered if the teachers thought he was being too disruptive."

"Probably," I answered unconsciously. I always wondered about that. The people who used to pick fights with me all transferred schools fairly quickly, and those who liked to tease me didn't stay long either. I turned to look at the person next to me.

"Why are you looking at me?" Johan asked, raising an eyebrow. But the slight smile that played on his lips confirmed to me that I was guessing correctly.

Yeah, I often complain about things like this at the arcade. But why am I afraid of him?

 

“At first, I thought that if I sent him to boxing, his personality would change, like he’d be less impulsive. But no matter what, North is still the same.” She sighed, “Naughty, playful to the point of being a nuisance. I really don’t understand it.”

 

"That's courage, you think?" Johan said, reaching out and pinching my cheek irritably.

"That was only when I was in school; I'm all grown up now."

 

"So, how did you two first meet?" Mom asked excitedly.

“North got into some trouble at the pub, Mom. The damage there is pretty bad,” Johan replied, raising his hand to his chin, his voice calm but a slight, teasing smirk playing on his lips.

 

"Brother, please don't speak ill of me to Mom," I said.

"North, what's going on? Why didn't you tell Mom? Have you paid compensation yet?"

"I've already paid the compensation."

"You're not lying to me, are you?" My mother sighed, looking unhappy, and turned to stare at me. "So you got into a fight? What happened?"

 

“…”

"It's related to his ex-girlfriend."

"Johan!"

"North!"

 

"Mom, that happened a long time ago," I said, trying to ease the tension. I really didn't like bringing it up again. I turned and frowned at the person next to me.

 

"Are you planning to fight with the kid again?"

"What's wrong? I wasn't planning to do anything."

 

"Apologise."

"Yes."

"And don't let this happen again, understand?"

"Yes."

 

“North was very mischievous, but the important thing is that he came back safely.” His mother looked at Johan again, her eyes filled with pride, “Luckily, Johan was here; he’s calmer now, isn’t he?”

 

I glanced at Johan, who just nodded slightly: "Yes, sir."

 

My mother smiled: "I know. Johan, please let North know if you need anything. He might be stubborn, but he'll always listen to the people who matter to him."

 

"Mom, you love to talk bad about me," I joked, trying to change the subject before she'd say anything more.

 

"Oh, no problem," Johan said casually. "I'd like to know more about North, too."

 

My face flushed slightly, but I remained silent, not wanting to prolong the conversation.

 

"Well, Johan is a really good man," my mother continued, "I'm sure you'll take good care of North."

 

"Yes, I'll take care of him," Johan replied, his voice so serious it overwhelmed me. My mother smiled contentedly: "Okay, I'm relieved to entrust my son to someone like you."

 

I turned away, trying to hide the feeling welling up in my chest. Why do I feel so nervous when he's this serious?

 

"Don't worry, Mom," Johan said, smiling. "As long as North is with me, everything will be alright."

 

The mother nodded in satisfaction. Then we continued talking about other things. I realised that Mom really liked Johan because he was such a charming conversationalist. Honestly, I had never seen Mom this happy at home.

 

They talked about all sorts of things, from their studies to their jobs. My mother couldn't stop praising Johan, without any attempt to hide it.

 

"It seems Johan really likes you. I'm starting to get jealous."

 

"Why are you eating so messily?" The person next to me said, wiping the crumbs of candy from the corner of my mouth. I unintentionally moved my mouth slightly toward them. When I looked over, I saw my mother looking at me with an embarrassed expression.

 

"It's already getting dark, Mom's going to cook dinner. Is there anything special you'd like to eat?" Mom turned to ask Johan. Wait, why is Mom asking about Johan and not me? It's been a long time since I've had Mom's cooking!

 

"Mom," I said, my voice slightly irritated.

"Even if you're angry, I won't ask you anything."

 

"Mom, I'm crying."

 

"Mom was just kidding." Mom walked in and pinched both my cheeks. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"You're such a nuisance," Mom said, her face angry, then she withdrew her hand. "I don't want to ask you any more questions. Is there anything special you'd like to eat, Johan?"

 

Johan gently shook his head as if nothing was wrong. Then my mother disappeared into the kitchen.

 

"Is there anything you'd like to help me with?" I asked, offering my assistance.

"Help your mother out a little."

"What can I do to help you, Mom?"

"Help Mom stay quiet."

“…Yes.” I turned back and sat on the sofa.

 

"Your mom is so cute," Johan said.

"Of course, that's my mother," I replied proudly.

 

Just then, I heard the back door open. I turned around and saw my aunt carrying the baby inside. I immediately ran to find my younger niece.

 

“Can I hold her?” I asked, and my aunt handed the baby to me. I looked at the baby wrapped in a blanket, “She’s like a little cocoon. Look how happy she is…”

 

"Hello," Aunt Jai said, giving me a smile. She seemed startled to see Johan, her face flushing. She pushed her hair back slightly.

"Hello, little one, it's North, ready to play with Chrysalis. Oh, little Chrysalis. Your hands are so small, your cheeks so chubby, and your arms so soft."

 

"That's right!"

 

"Auntie, Chrysalis is about to cry," I said before gently comforting the baby in my arms, 

 

"Oh, don't cry."

"You said you were going to bring your boyfriend home, right?"

"Yes."

"Wow, he's so handsome, North!"

 

"Auntie, please calm down."

“North, I think he’s not normal. He’s so handsome. My heart was racing just now. Seeing him made me want to divorce my husband,” my aunt said emotionally. Indeed, my mother and my aunt are very similar.

 

"Uncle is suing Auntie."

"But your husband isn't here either, he's out drinking with his friends... oh well, let him go."

"He's just going out for drinks with friends, not going anywhere," I said. "You don't need to look at my boyfriend like that, Auntie."

 

“He’s already possessive. And then what? When North’s mother told my aunt that North had a very handsome boyfriend, my aunt didn’t believe it. She had to go check it out herself, but oh my, this boy is…” My aunt said, but I interrupted her.

 

"It's not a good idea to say this," I said, then leaned over and gently kissed the cheek of the baby in my arms. "Little niece, don't stay with Auntie anymore, come and stay with me," I said before picking the baby up and sitting down on the sofa.

 

"Is this your younger niece?"

"Yes, do you want to hold her?"

"No," Johan said, turning his eyes back to the television screen. I figured he definitely wasn't the type to be a big fan of children.

 

“Johan, he doesn’t care about me,” I said to the baby, feeling sweeter than ever. Then I brought my little niece closer to him and said, “Johan, please hold me. Please hold me.”

 

“…” The person next to me glanced at me but still refused to play with the child. Meanwhile, the child stretched out their hand in the air as if trying to touch something.

"I want to be held, too."

 

“…”

"North!"

"Oh, Night." I turned around when I heard the call, before handing the baby back to my aunt, "Why are you here?"

"I missed you so much," Night said, then ran and hugged me from behind, as I was sitting on the sofa. Normally, my house is always this lively, and now we have another younger sibling. Relatives keep coming to visit constantly.

 

"Who is this?"

"My lover."

“Wow… what a beautiful creature.” Words that shouldn’t have come from a high school student’s mouth suddenly slipped out. Night immediately covered his mouth, blushing with embarrassment as he realised he’d blurted it out. Johan smiled slightly at his reaction.

 

"North, did he hear what I just said?"

"I heard it. Otherwise, how could he be laughing?"

"Oh my God, how embarrassing!"

 

"Come sit here, Night," I said, and Night walked around the sofa and sat down next to me. He also waved to Johan.

 

"Are you really North's boyfriend?"

 

"Yeah, why?"

“Okay then. I came here to show you something, North,” Night said, rummaging through his bag. He pulled out his phone, held it up for me to see, “I’m flirting with this person. Let me show you.”

 

"Who is that?" I asked, looking at Night's phone screen. The image was blurry, but if you looked closely… wasn't that person wearing a male school uniform?

 

"Who is that?"

"Just someone."

"What's his name?"

"Oscar."

"Do you have any clearer photos?"

"Ummm..."

"Then why don't you show it to him right away?"

"It's so cute, I don't want North to see it," Night said, turning away. I immediately turned back and reached out to see the picture. The phrase "it's so cute, I don't want him to see it" really confused me. But in the end, he only showed me a blurry photo. Looking closely, I felt the face was familiar, like that of some eccentric engineering student.

 

"Yeah, that's a good idea. So, how are you trying to woo him?"

"Look at them."

"That's not flirting, Night."

"That's all I can do."

“Night…” I sighed, feeling helpless. I reached out and patted his head, then said softly, “You have to be brave. You’ll end up like my friend, if you don’t hurry up now, you’ll have to pursue him all the way to college.”

 

"So how should I approach him?"

"I don't know," I shook my head. "Have you two talked yet?"

"Already."

"What did you say?"

"I asked Oscar, 'Where's the restroom?'"

"You're asking about that? Since when?"

"It was my first day of school. When I first arrived, I honestly didn't know where the restrooms were."

 

“Night…” I patted my little brother's head affectionately. Why am I constantly surrounded by things like this? It’s so miserable 😭 “Cheer up, little brother.”

 

"I want to give someone a gift. North, what should I give them?"

"I don't know either. What about the flowers?"

"But they're both guys, who would give flowers to each other like that?"

"You have a Gundam model," I said, feeling a little uneasy. "There's an old Gundam model in your room. Can you give it to me?"

 

"Huh, what? You want me to give you something of yours as a gift?" Night looked at me with a helpless expression. Because Uncle is quite strict, Night rarely gets to buy things. So I usually give him my things instead. After chatting for a while, Night seemed to really want to talk to Johan, but didn't dare, only secretly glancing at him. Its shyness was adorable. Then, Johan excused himself to go outside to take a phone call.

 

"North, your boyfriend is a star or a model or something, right? He's so cool! And tall too. How can I look like him?"

"No, that's not true. Night will get taller when he's older, and he's already tall now."

"His name is Johan, right? Even the name sounds cool. What is he studying?"

"Second year, medical school."

 

"Wow, he must be really good. How lucky is North?"

"That's right," I replied, patting Night's head affectionately. The whole family seemed very excited to see Johan. I didn't expect that either.

 

"Night, I'll give you some money," I said, taking some from my wallet and giving it to Night. He took it with a radiant look in his eyes.

 

Night's eyes widened with joy, then he quickly clasped his hands together in thanks, before taking the money from my hand.

 

Since last year, I've started working part-time, so I occasionally have some money to give Night. If Night is well-behaved or gets good grades on tests, I'll buy him gifts or give him money as a reward. Because I'm rarely home, I always give Night a small gift when I visit to make up for it.

 

"Thank you, North. You're the best!"

 

"Night, let's go home!" Uncle Nuch's voice called out.

 

"Why? I want to play with North a little longer," Night said, then ran and hugged me.

 

"You have to go home because you haven't done your homework, right? And you have to go to bed too," my aunt said. Hearing that, I suddenly remembered something, so I stood up and rummaged through my bag.

 

"Uncle, I've come to give my little niece a gift," I said, handing Uncle Nuch a small yellow gift box. He took it with surprise. When he opened the box, his eyes widened in astonishment.

 

"Oh my goodness, so much gold! North, you're so clever. Thank you so much. Truly amazing. A child so young is already able to buy things like this." My aunt said happily, then leaned down and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

 

I smiled shyly: "I was just trying a little harder. Night, you should learn from North."

 

The gift I gave my niece was funded by Johan. Every time I see this gift, I'm reminded of Johan. Before my aunt and Night left, my aunt asked, "Is your boyfriend staying here too?"

 

"Yes, that's right."

 

"Then remember to take good care of him. It's not easy to find someone like him. I'm still jealous."

 

"Haha," I replied, forcing a shy smile as my aunt walked away with Night. When I entered the house, I was back in my familiar home. I saw my mother busy preparing dinner, but it seemed like everything was almost ready.

 

I went outside and sat down at the marble table in front of the house, next to Johan. He was on the phone, looking serious, probably about work. I sat down beside him without saying anything, just looking at him anxiously. Was something wrong?

 

“North!” I heard a soft voice call out. Turning my head to find the source of the voice, I saw Aunt Kaew’s daughter, the neighbour my mother often talked about, standing close to the wall, gesturing to me.

 

"What's up?"

 

"Who is that handsome guy?"

 

"My boyfriend."

 

"Your boyfriend? Really? So that black Audi is his, too?"

 

I nodded in response.

 

"So he must be really rich, right? That's amazing! He's so handsome and has a great physique, too. Oh my god, I'm so jealous!"

 

I didn't know how to respond, so I just smiled shyly. Honestly, I really like it when people compliment Johan, but I felt awkward myself. Then Cartoon asked me many more questions about Johan and even asked me to take a picture of him. But I refused. What would I need a picture for?

 

"North..."

 

"Yes?" I turned around when I heard Johan call my name. He seemed to have just finished a call and walked towards me. Cartoon looked extremely excited, her face flushed red as she saw Johan approaching.

 

"Oh... hello. You're North's boyfriend, right?"

 

"Yes," Johan replied, his voice deep, warm, and confident.

 

"I'm North's older sister, and also his neighbour. My name is Cartoon."

“Oh… I see.” Johan smiled faintly, but seemed unconcerned. “Sorry,” he said before putting his arm around my shoulder and leading me back into the house. As I walked in, I turned back and gave Cartoon a slight smile as a farewell.

 

Entering the house, I saw my mother setting the table. We sat down together and began dinner. As I ate, I realised how much I had missed my mother's cooking. We ate and chatted until Mom suddenly remembered something: "Oh, right, North! You're such a braggart when it comes to showing off your boyfriend."

 

"Mom, stop it! Don't say any more!" I yelled, my voice full of embarrassment. Ever since I started dating Johan, I'd been constantly bragging about him to my mom. Honestly, I'd been doing that for a long time, but I didn't want my mom to say it in front of him.

 

"Really?" Johan asked curiously, his eyes full of interest, "What did she say about you?"

 

"he said her boyfriend's mother is very handsome."

 

"Really?" He turned to ask me, a slight smile playing on his lips. I immediately lowered my head, pretending to concentrate on eating.

 

"That's not all..."

 

"Mom!" I almost burst into tears of embarrassment, my lips pouting like a child's. But Mom ignored me and continued talking.

 

“he even called his mother and said, ‘My boyfriend is so kind, always caring and attentive to me. Mom, I love him so much, I don’t know what to do.’”

 

“Mom…” I whispered, my voice filled with despair. Because of this, I probably won’t be bringing Johan home anymore. As for Johan, he seemed very interested in what my mother was telling him. He even tilted his head and listened attentively.

 

“Mom, do you know he was the first person who made me want to change myself for the better? I studied much harder, and when we weren't together, you know what happened? I didn't enjoy it at all. I just missed him so much. I've never felt this way with anyone else. Mom, did you ever feel this way with Dad?”

 

"Mom... please don't say anything more, okay?" I whined, raising my hands to cover my face. My ears were burning hot right now.

 

"Why did you never tell me?"

 

"North, why didn't you tell Johan?"

 

"Mom!" Who would dare say such things to Johan? Mom really does have a habit of talking too much at the wrong time. I remember telling my mother about those things, but I never thought she would bring it up right in front of him.

 

"he even asked her mother about getting married."

 

"Mom!" I exclaimed, embarrassed.

 

"What?" Johan raised his eyebrows slightly, looking at me. "You want to marry me?" A satisfied smile appeared on his lips. Who gave him permission to smile like that?

 

“…”

"North looks embarrassed," my mother said, half-jokingly. "Do you even realise you're embarrassed? Your ears are all red, kid."

 

"I'm not talking to you anymore, Mom," I mumbled softly.

 

"North is the type who brags a lot about his girlfriend," Mom continued teasing, directing her words towards Johan, "He tells me everything about Johan. It makes me feel proud, too."

 

“…” I just lowered my head, focusing on eating, trying to ignore the teasing. The whole family was ganging up on me!

 

After dinner, Mom said she would clean up herself and told us to go upstairs to rest. My bedroom was upstairs. I shyly opened my door, and to my surprise, Johan agreed to sleep in my room.

 

"Please come in," I said.

 

"Thank."

 

"There's no need for that, it's just the two of us here," I whispered softly. Johan walked in and looked around the room. This is a typical child's room. There's a poster on the wall, comic books, a guitar, a desk, and a bed that isn't too big.

 

"Do you want to take a shower?"

 

"Do you want to take a shower together?"

 

"No... no need," I immediately shook my head. He chuckled softly at my embarrassed expression, then we parted ways to take showers, as there were bathrooms upstairs and downstairs. I returned to the room and found him already showered and sitting on the bed.

 

"Ah!" I exclaimed in surprise when I was suddenly hugged from behind. Johan tightened his embrace, and I felt a warmth on the tip of my nose and neck. The faint scent of soap from his body wafted into my nostrils, and I leaned against his chest.

 

"Do you feel comfortable staying at my house?"

 

"Hmm."

 

"That's great. It seems like my mom and aunt really like you," I said cheerfully, moving closer to him. "Do they love you more than I do? What would I do if they left me?"

 

"What about you, North?"

 

"Yes?"

 

"Do you love me?"

 

"Uh... why are you asking so suddenly?" I stammered in reply.

 

"Answer me."

 

"I love you."

 

"YES."

 

"It's enough that North loves me."

 

“…”

I remained silent and let my heart continue to pound. I was used to it and increasingly felt drawn into Johan's embrace because it was so warm, but each time I still felt shy.

 

"So you're a naughty child, aren't you?"

 

“…”

 

"When we're not together, you miss me so much. So why never said it?"

 

"Johan."

“…”

 

"You were the first person who made me think about changing for the better."

“…”

 

“… ” I buried my face in the blanket to hide my blushing face. Why did he have to tease me and whisper in my ear like that? Enough already 😭

 

"Me too."

 

"Huh."

 

"North is the first and only person who has made me want to change for the better."

 

“…Yes.” I buried my face in the blanket so hard I could barely speak until Johan pulled me closer. He pressed his lips hard against my cheek. Then he continued to kiss me repeatedly until I couldn't do anything anymore. “What… What are you doing?”

 

"You smell very pleasant."

 

"You always use that as an excuse to kiss me."

 

Johan said nothing. He just smiled contentedly and kissed my cheek again. He did this for a while before pulling away. I turned and kissed him on the cheek before continuing to talk about what had happened at my house, including other things as well. Suddenly, my phone rang. I looked at the screen and saw that it was Tiger calling.

"Switch to speakerphone," Johan ordered in a low voice, making me jump slightly. He didn't seem to like it when we were together, and someone disturbed us.

"What's up?" I replied, turning on the speakerphone as he had instructed.

 

(You…)

 

I was startled by the music and noise on the other end of the line. The sound was almost inaudible. It seemed like he was outdoors. I guessed that was correct.

(Duean Nao.)

"Are you drunk?"

(Duean Nao.)

"You've dialled the wrong number."

(Duean Nao.)

"I can't take it anymore," I sighed. Something must have made that idiot drink so much. 

 

"Calm down and go home."

(I don't want it to be like that.)

"What's wrong with you again?" Johan whispered. His deep voice gave me goosebumps. I don't know why.

(Oh, you were there too?)

"YES."

 

(Great, you two are together now, like a couple.)

"Ger, what's wrong?" I asked again.

 

(I don't know. Damn it.)

"Well, you called me."

 

(That's right, this guy.)

"What?"

 

(North the dog owes me money.)

“…”

 

(North owes me hundreds of thousands of dollars. He keeps using Duean Nao to threaten me.)

 

"That's ridiculous, Ger. How could I possibly threaten you? You're drunk," I thought irritably.

 

(I don't know. Garfield brought the wine.)

(You son of a bitch, who are you calling?) It was Garfield's voice, Tiger's friend.

Are they going out for drinks together?

 

(Drunk and lost, what a dog.)

 

(North?) Garfield's voice sounded closer over the phone. He was probably snatching the phone from Tiger's hand. (Sorry, Ger is a little drunk.)

 

"Is it because of Duean Nao?" I asked.

(Probably. I don't know what happened.)

 

"Okay, take it back."

(Okay, alright. Sorry for bothering you.) He said before hanging up.

 

What the hell is going on? If it involves Duean Nao, something huge must have happened to make Tiger act like this.

 

"Did you blackmail him?" The deep voice of the man behind me startled me before Johan turned me around and made me sit on his lap. That's definitely not good at all...

 

"Tiger will come later."

"But you threatened him, didn't you?"

 

"Um... yes," I said, frowning slightly. It wasn't really a threat; it was just paying me for my help.

 

"I really want to know how terrifying your threat will be."

“…”

 

"I want to give it a try."

 

"Are you... crazy?" I said, looking away, with that look and smile. Clearly, he was trying to embarrass me. "Hurry up. I want to see it."

 

“I didn’t ask him for money, I just asked him to buy me some water.” I thought I should be honest. “I never accepted cash from Tiger.”

 

"Why didn't you tell me then?"

 

I remained silent because I sensed something wasn't quite right. A smile flickered at the corner of the person in front of me's mouth.

 

"What did I say?"

"If I need anything or want anything, I have to tell you, right?"

 

"Hmm..."

 

He really cared about me. A strong hand pressed against my neck, and he kissed me—well, of course, on the lips. Johan didn't seem to appreciate my words of concern very much before a hot tongue appeared. Biting my lip, I returned the touch and started breathing a little faster before Johan pulled away from the kiss.

 

"What did you just say?"

 

"No... nothing." I turned my eyes away and looked in another direction, feeling my heart start pounding again.

 

"So, you understand now, right?"

 

"Understood."

 

"Yeah, that's good."

 

"But next time, North won't ask again."

 

"Huh?"

 

“I’ll steal from you. While you sleep, I’ll take your wallet, rob your room, your TV, your refrigerator, your sofa—anything expensive that belongs to you, I’ll take it all. And when you wake up, I’ll disappear without a trace.” I said, laughing. When the person opposite heard this, he smiled affectionately.

 

"Are you going to disappear?"

 

"That's right. He definitely won't find me."

 

"Okay, I'll give you everything, but don't disappear."

 

"He's a real cheat! How could you be so easily fooled?"

 

I immediately pouted when I heard the other person's words. My face started to heat up; I knew for sure it was turning red. I lowered my head to hide it. Johan seemed somewhat pleased to see my expression.

 

"Why are you shy?"

 

"It's because of you. You don't need to tease me like that."

"So why are you so cute?"

 

"That's enough." I sighed slightly.

 

Johan pulled me in and lifted me up. Then he kissed me lightly on the lips. When I pulled away from that touch, I pressed my forehead against his, as if I needed a moment to breathe.

 

"Oh, would you like to hear me play the guitar?" I thought to myself at that moment and realised that if I had the chance, I would really like to play the guitar for Johan at least once. Just like the song I sang for him.

 

"Do you know how to play the guitar?"

 

"Yes, but I'm not very good at it."

 

"Yeah, I'd like to hear you play," Johan said. I smiled, then got up and went to get my guitar, leaning it against the wall.

 

"When did you start playing guitar?"

 

“Um… since high school. But it’s been a long time since I played,” I replied, then tried plucking a few strings to check if they were tangled. “Actually, there’s a song I want you to hear too.”

 

"What song?"

 

"Fix You, unfortunately, I don't know how to play."

 

"It's okay. North sent me that song a long time ago."

 

“Really?” I pretended not to understand his words. But Johan didn’t seem to want to explain further, “Well… You already know the lyrics. Let’s listen, even if we cry.”

 

"Okay, let's play a different song."

 

"Okay, let's find an easier song. Wait a minute," I said, taking out my phone to find a song that was both catchy and easy to play. "A song you've never heard before. Because I'm going to sing it to flirt with you."

 

"Huh?" Johan raised his eyebrows, surprised by my words, then chuckled slightly. That made me laugh, too. I was still a little embarrassed to have said it myself.

 

"What's so funny?"

 

"What's up? I want to hear North sing a song to flirt with me."

 

"I'll flirt with you, and you'll only get to look at me," I said, then laughed at his words.

 

After a while, I started to dare to joke around with him more. I found a song that I thought was easy to play and suitable. But it had been a long time since I'd played it, and I was afraid I'd play the wrong chords. Then, I looked at the lyrics and chords on my phone many times.

 

"Do you understand the song yet?"

 

"Yes."

 

"What song is that?"

 

“Everything Has Changed.” I think I’ve started to like this song. When I looked at the lyrics, I felt it was a good fit. I felt like everything changed when I met him. Actually, I started playing awkwardly because I wasn’t used to it yet. After a while, I got better. I looked up from the guitar and saw Johan holding his phone and filming me. I smiled softly at the camera.

 

"...don't film that," I said, but the other person continued filming. I pouted in annoyance and finished the song.

 

“Are you going to post it on Instagram?” After a while, Johan started posting stories on Instagram more frequently, and most of them were about me. This meant that news about us spread everywhere. Since I'm not someone who cares too much about everything, I decided not to look at the comments. As for the people who added me or sent me messages, I don't care anymore. Every time I went somewhere, I used to be stared at strangely, but now I don't mind anymore.

 

"I've already posted it."

 

I opened Instagram to see what he had posted. It was a video of me playing guitar with a caption that said, "Someone said they'd play guitar to flirt :)". I immediately smiled when I saw that. So cute…

 

Johan's Instagram started with black-and-white photos, but then switched to colour. And most of them are pictures of me. While not just pictures of me, they're images related to both of us. For example, pictures of us holding hands, gifts we've exchanged, or places we've been together. I really like things like this…

 

The last picture shows me playing guitar with a caption that includes a line from a song: "Take back lost time… fill in the time that was lost…"

 

"Could you post some pictures?" I asked.

 

"Of course, you don't need to ask beforehand."

 

“Can I hold your hand?” I smiled as Johan held out his hand. I took a picture of us holding hands with the guitar on my lap. I posted the picture on Instagram and added another caption with the lyrics.

 

"All my walls are high and painted blue. I will tear them down and open the door for you to come in."