North: How much is your love?
Chapter 3: His Voice.
[>> North <<]
I wearily unlocked the door to my room with Ter. Normally, I'd finish work at 10 PM, but I had to wait for all the customers to leave, clean up the place, and then Hill invited me out for dinner before going home. He always paid, and even though I felt bad about it, he insisted on treating me.
I asked Hill a little about Johan, like how to get him to be less rigid and lower the interest rate for me. But Hill didn't know either, just told me not to overthink it, to just talk normally, as long as I didn't anger Johan, especially lately. That's the problem… I suddenly realised Johan had texted me at over 9 PM, but I hadn't read it yet, so I didn't know what it was.
"I'm serious, would Johan be annoyed if I replied to his messages late?" I asked Ter. He looked a little confused by my question.
"He texted me at nine o'clock, but I didn't have my phone with me. Even if I did, I wouldn't have been able to reply because I was working." But what's the point of explaining that to Ter?
"Oh, you mean Hill's instructions, right?" Ter nodded. "Let me ask him." Then he took out his phone and immediately sent a text message. A moment later, he showed me the screen.
Hill Ratchakit: No, don't worry.
I breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren't for Mr Hill constantly reminding me, I probably wouldn't have been this nervous.
Hill Ratchakit: If it's you, then it's fine.
Hill Ratchakit: But if it's North, then maybe not…
Hill Ratchakit: He bought you a phone, and you still haven't replied to him?
Hill's words left me speechless. I handed the phone back to Ter, took a deep breath, and opened the messages.
Johan: No interest is required.
Johan: But will you do everything I tell you to?
My eyes widened, and I stared at the screen for a moment before my brain could process it. What? No interest required? NO INTEREST REQUIRED!!
But… “do everything I tell you to do”, what does that mean? Do I have to be your errand boy or something even stranger? That doesn’t sound believable at all!
North♣️: *Sends a bewildered face sticker*
I sent a sticker since I wasn't sure how to reply. Johan didn't check the message, so I gave the phone to Ter.
"What does that mean?" Ter frowned. "What does he intend to do to you?"
“I can’t… But the interest-free option sounds appealing. It could save tens of thousands of baht.” I muttered, thinking for a moment, “If it’s just doing odd jobs, it probably wouldn’t be too bad.”
"But he said all that. What if he asks you to kill someone?"
"Wait, Ter...! Um, but what you said really unnerves me. He doesn't look like the kind of person who would do something like that..." I shuddered.
Johan has already read the message.
But they didn't reply.
North♣️: What do you mean by 'everything'?
Johan: Nothing.
North'♣️: Hey, brother 😭
North♣️: I'm sorry, I'm working.
Johan: Who asked?
North♣️: Who asked?
North♣️: Oh no, I just wanted to say...
Johan: Who cares what you do?
North♣️: Huh…
Am I imagining things? His words sound a little sarcastic...
North♣️: So what exactly does 'everything' mean? If it's not too much of a burden, I can manage it. But with that interest rate, I won't be able to pay it off even in a few years. 😭
North♣️: At least reduce the amount for me. If it weren't for Mr Hill giving me some, I'd be malnourished.
Johan read the message but hasn't replied after almost 10 minutes. Am I overreacting? But I'm being honest; even if we're not malnourished, we're certainly not well-off.
"Johan hasn't replied yet..." I sighed, plopping down next to Ter.
"Is he busy with work? Or too lazy to text you?"
"Hey, why are you suddenly criticising me? This is important to me!"
"He must be really busy. P’Hill said Johan has a lot of work lately, that's why he's been letting Mr Hill handle the department and lab work regularly."
"What does he do for a living?" I asked, raising my eyebrows in curiosity. I'd heard Johan was self-employed, but I still didn't know what kind of work it was.
"He does a lot. Part of it is for his family, and part is his own business. I'm not very knowledgeable about it."
"Wow, that sounds amazing."
"You sound like you don't quite believe me," Ter said, glancing at me as if he'd caught me red-handed.
"He doesn't look like that at all. It would be easier to believe if you said all he does all day is party and chase girls. It's true that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."
"Yeah, he's flirting with girls while he's working. People say Johan is a real ladies' man."
"I believe that!" I nodded, not too surprised. With his slightly bad-boy vibe, handsome face, and plenty of money, it's no wonder he's a ladies' man. But... not all handsome, rich guys are womanisers, right? Mr Hill isn't like that.
"Why don't you try sending another message?"
"Really? You can see how impatient I am, right?"
"Of course. They suddenly said they wouldn't charge interest, then suddenly changed their minds and disappeared. No wonder you're worried."
That sounded reasonable, so I picked up my phone and decided to text one more time.
North♣️: Are you working? I don't want to disturb you.
North♣️: But could you give me a little time?
North♣️: Send stickers
They saw the message but still didn't reply...
Johan: Answer the phone. No more than 5 seconds late.
North♣️: Huh?
I frowned, looking at the screen in confusion. There's a call from Johan. Remembering the instruction to "no more than 5 seconds," I quickly pressed the answer button, trying to keep my voice as polite and natural as possible.
"Hello, yes, I'm listening."
(...)
“Johan…?” I tried calling out, but there was complete silence on the other end of the line.
(What.)
"Oh, nothing... But what was it you wanted to talk about?"
(Too lazy to text.)
"Ah..." I turned to look at Ter for help, but he was just as bewildered as I was. Why on earth did he suddenly call?
"Are you working?" I asked a general question to confirm.
(Hmm.)
“…”
(...)
"Regarding the interest... I'd like to ask again."
(So, are you willing?)
"You mean doing everything you tell them to do?"
(YES.)
"I want to know what it means. As I said, if it's not too difficult, I think I can handle it."
(What do you mean by "heavy"?) The voice on the other end of the line asked casually.
"Uh... For example, if you asked me to commit murder, drug trafficking, rob a jewellery store, or snatch a handbag... I probably couldn't do any of those things."
(...)
“…”
(...)
"Being yelled at is better than this," I said. I was just joking earlier, even if it was a little serious. But this silence made me feel guilty for teasing him.
(Is that okay?)
“Okay… but no, it’s better not to.” Just being called a stupid duck wasn’t enough to soothe my heart. Wait, isn’t that ‘okay’ too late? Haven’t you already insulted me enough?
“So what’s the deal? You’re not going to make me do anything weird, are you?”
(How strange is that?)
(Like you just said?)
“…”
(Are you capable of doing it?)
“…”
"No."
Oh my God! Why is Johan so mean to me? I'm completely ruined!
(Well, I'm not asking you to do anything beyond your capabilities.)
"Yeah, but I don't have many abilities, so please be gentle." Self-deprecatingly mocking himself actually made the pain go away.
(Then never mind.)
"Huh?"
(Useless.)
Johan is just… Why did I have to meet someone like this? I suddenly feel like crying again.
"Oh my god, I was just kidding! I'm so versatile, please let me have interest-free loans!"
(Are you sure?)
"Uh... I'm sure... sure. But you won't ask me to do anything weird, okay?"
(Define your own definition of 'weird'.)
“It’s weird… How do I explain it? Weird in a way that any normal person would find strange,” I replied. Meaning, it’s weird in a normal way, so how else could I explain it?
(Hmm… okay, weird in my own way.)
"Yes, as you understand it. So, it's a deal, right? Interest-free?" I asked excitedly. What could be better than saving tens of millions of dong every month?
(Yes, but…)
"But what?"
(If you displease me, I will charge interest daily.)
"Wait! How can that be?" I immediately objected.
(huh?)
"Nothing," I immediately lowered my voice when I heard the cold tone from the other end. Thinking about it, it made sense. Johan was waiving the interest on the condition that I follow his instructions. If I didn't do well or didn't comply, the agreement would be void.
"So, if I ever displease you, will you charge interest again?"
(YES.)
"How much is it?"
(5% per month, how much is that per day?)
"Huh? Oh... wait a minute." I hurriedly searched for a piece of paper and a pen to do the calculations. Even though I'm studying engineering, not everyone is good at mental arithmetic; at least I'm the type who needs to write things down on paper to do them.
(What are you doing?)
"I need some paper to do the calculations."
(Did you draw lots to get into the school?)
“…”
Oh my god, why are there so many sharp-tongued people around me? I can't live like this anymore; my heart is as fragile as tissue paper.
"Over three hundred?" I asked. "If you consistently disappoint me, you're dead meat."
(Yes, the same today.)
"Oh my God, please just ignore it, I'm busy with work!"
(Then why didn't you bring your phone?)
"Oh... It was on charge in my room."
(I already bought you a phone, and you left it in your room?)
That statement reminded me of what Hill had said earlier: "He bought you a phone, and you still won't answer?"
Then… I was wrong.
"Yes, I won't do it again," I said remorsefully. Just for being late in replying to a message, I'm being fined?
(Hmm.)
(And don't use the phone I bought to text other people.)
"Huh?"
(Don't understand?)
"Understood... I understand."
Why are my creditors so scary? "So, can you tell me what things bother you?"
(That's your job, figure it out yourself.)
"Ah... yes. Then I'll hang up now, okay? Thank you." I didn't forget to say thank you and was about to hang up, thinking there was nothing more to say.
(Are not.)
"Huh?"
(No hanging up.)
"Yes... anything else?"
(Don't ask so many questions, just be quiet.)
"Hmm? Oh… okay." I won't ask any more questions since Johan said so. After a while, I only heard the scratching of a pen and the clicking of a keyboard. He must be working, right?
(Don't leave your phone unattended.)
"Ah... yes." I reluctantly went to get my headphones and put them on. Initially, I intended to hold the phone a little further away to reduce the noise, but since I'm forbidden from doing so, I have no choice but to wear headphones. Okay, I'll put it on silent mode because I'm afraid Ter's game sounds will get in.
(Don't sleep.)
"...But I'm sleepy."
(What did I say?)
"Yes... I'm not sleeping," I replied drowsily, struggling to fight off my drooping eyelids.
Was all he needed me to do was stay awake to supervise his work?
"Do I need to talk to keep you awake?" I asked.
(What does that mean?)
"Well, I thought you'd get sleepy. Usually, when you ask someone to stay up with you, you have to chat, right?" I said, recalling my days of exam preparation.
(Really?)
"Hmm. Before, when I stayed up with Ja… my ex-girlfriend, I used to talk to her all the time."
(I'm not your ex-girlfriend.)
Huh? Why are you being so aggressive again?
"So I don't need to talk, right?"
(YES.)
Okay, I'll keep quiet then.
01:17
"North, I'm going to sleep here," Ter said, reaching out to turn off the light. I turned and nodded.
"Yeah, good night," he wished me before crawling under the covers. I was left sitting under the desk lamp, scrolling back and forth on my computer screen.
I'm so sleepy! Just listening to the sound of the keyboard makes me want to fall asleep.
"Johan..." I called, "I'm so sleepy..."
Johan didn't answer. But even if he had, I guessed he'd probably say something like, "It's none of my business." How could someone like that be so popular? I mean, is this kind of aggressive type the type women are attracted to? If it were me, I wouldn't dare approach him.
"How much longer will you be working here? I'm just asking, please don't scold me."
(Just a little while longer.)
"Do you work that hard every day?"
(No, only for a few days.)
"Take a break, I've seen you working continuously for hours."
(No need.)
"Um, I can't think of anything to say," I said sleepily. Normally, everyone would be asleep by now, especially after a tiring day at work.
(So tell me your story.)
"Is that okay? I value my privacy quite a bit." When I'm too sleepy, I start rambling.
(Yeah, that's your problem.)
"But since you seem so eager to know, I'll reluctantly tell you."
(No, I don't want to know anymore.)
“My name is North, my real name is Natchanan. I’m a freshman in electrical engineering. I’m Easter’s roommate, a veterinary student, and Hill’s boyfriend's friend. And Hill is your friend too.”
(...)
"I'm a simple, easy-going person, not too serious. I'm sociable and cheerful, but I also respect elders, know how to be polite, and am a good friend."
(Can I leave this for others to comment on?)
"Yes, that's what my teacher wrote in the parent-teacher communication book."
(Nonsense. When drunk, they talk nonsense; when sleepy, they also talk nonsense.)
"Just a little bit, sir. Oh, by the way, I've washed your shirt. When would it be convenient for you to pick it up?" I asked, referring to the shirt Johan lent me the other day.
(Not taking it.)
"Huh? I already washed it, and it smells nice."
(Not taking it.)
"Can I ask why?"
(Do not ask.)
Uh... okay, fine. If you don't want it, then don't take it. What the heck? The shirt is expensive, you know, what's there to complain about? I even washed it clean already.
1:36 AM
(You.)
"It's me. I'm not asleep yet."
(Hmm?)
"Do you think I'll fall asleep? No way, I won't let you fine me so easily."
(That's good then.)
"How far have you gotten with your work?"
(Just a little while longer.)
"Are you working until morning?"
(Get lost.)
“Hehe…” I chuckled dryly into the phone.
Actually, I’m generally easy to talk to; that goes without saying. After talking for a while, I realised Johan wasn’t as scary or unapproachable as I thought. It’s just that there are a few strange, inexplicable things about him, like his hot temper and violent behaviour that leave my face sore several times a day.
"I have a question I'd like to ask, is that okay?"
No. Shut up.
"Oh dear, this is going to bore the person watching over him to death," I said. "Do the others ever complain about being bored?"
Finally, I asked the question that had been bothering me for a long time. I just wanted to know, does someone like Johan really not have anyone to call and talk to? There must be hundreds of people lining up to call him. Why me? And if he doesn't need anyone to talk to, why doesn't he just avoid calling from the beginning so he can work in peace?
(There's no one here.)
"What?"
(I've never let anyone call me to watch over me.)
"Huh? Then why did you let me call?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise, my eyelids having long since drooped.
(It would be a nuisance if they called.)
"Oh, so you let me call first, so that anyone who calls will think you're busy with me?"
(Correct.)
"Then why don't you turn off your phone or switch on Do Not Disturb mode?"
(What if there's an urgent matter?)
"Ah, so you're saying I'm the scapegoat?"
(Hmm.)
“Okay. But I’m the scapegoat, and I’m really sleepy.” I said, nodding as if I understood.
Wait… I spun around to look. Seeing Ter still asleep, I breathed a sigh of relief. I must have been traumatised by reading too many ghost stories. I’m extremely afraid of ghosts, but I love watching and reading them, so I never dare sleep alone. Ter always complains that no matter where in the world he is, he has to come back to sleep with me, or I’ll have to drag myself to sleep in someone else’s room.
"Hey, I have a lot of things I want to ask you."
(To be continued.)
"Uh... okay."
Are you in bed?
"No, I'm sitting at my desk, and I'm about to turn off the desk lamp; it's too bright."
(Aren't you going to bed?)
"Falling asleep would be too easy; I can still manage to hold on like this."
(Hmm.)
02:06 AM
"Hey, did your girlfriend gang up on you? What if they found out I called you? If you got beaten up, I'd be responsible!"
(...)
"Are you still there? Don't sneak off to sleep while you're working."
(Still.)
"Why aren't you answering?"
(What did you say?)
"I said, 'What if your girlfriend ambushes me and attacks me? What if they find out I called you?"
(Then hit her back.)
"Oh my God, how could I possibly hit a woman!" I emphasised.
(Then stand still.)
"That's outrageous! It must hurt so much; they'll definitely gang up on me and beat me up," I said, unconsciously pouting. "They might even beat me up just like in those TV dramas."
(Nonsense.)
"Seriously! If I were assaulted, I would demand compensation and emotional distress. It would be deducted directly from my debt."
(Uh-huh.)
"That's great! Tomorrow I'll spread the word everywhere that I was the one who called you. If anyone threatens me, I'll go demand compensation for emotional distress."
(Do you want me to contact my friend's mental health clinic?)
"Oh my God, what is this! I was just kidding. Who would actually do that?"
(That's you.)
"I'm not that crazy. By the way... why did you choose to study to be a doctor?" I tried to start a conversation because I was so sleepy. Talking a little more would probably help me feel less sleepy.
(I told you to be quiet.)
"Tsk, what kind of person are you? You won't even talk for a bit. I'm sleepy, and who's a caffeine addict like you?"
(Do you know?)
"Well, I'm just guessing. Doctors are all coffee addicts. Especially you, working non-stop without getting sleepy like this... I even guessed you like Americano."
(That's a lot of information.)
"Just say you're good at it already. You should start practising making coffee too," I chattered, being a talkative person and quite good at starting conversations. "When I make it well, I'll invite you to try some."
(Is that flattery?)
"That's right, who knows, maybe he'll be kind enough to reduce my debt."
(This is a very good harvest.)
"What's wrong? Are there any other expenses?"
(Much.)
"Ah... Anyway, thank you for not charging extra." Initially, I was going to say I felt embarrassed, but then I thought that saying thank you like this was enough. Thank you so much. 😭
(But why bother learning to make coffee?)
"Oh, yes... that job. I'm looking for a part-time job, and I'm about to start a trial period at a coffee shop."
(With Ter?)
"Hmm. Ter is very stubborn; he's determined to go to work no matter what. He'll probably have to explain himself to P’Hill again. It's going to be tough."
(Yeah. But why go to work?)
"Oh my god, I need to earn money, of course. I'm in debt, so I'm planning to take on two or three more jobs. I'm stuck with this mountain of debt."
(I'm not making any profit.)
“…”
(No need to rush.)
Johan's voice sounds so relaxed. No need to rush, right? You're not the one in debt. I'm the one carrying this hundreds of millions of dollars in debt! 😭
"What if you change your mind and demand interest tomorrow?" I said. Who knows? What if one fine day you suddenly want to charge interest or increase the interest rate? You're the kind of person who likes to do things your own way.
(Where do you work?)
"It's a cafe near my school, called Marry Me."
(...)
Johan didn't answer. The sound of a pen writing on paper echoed again. He's probably back to work. I decided to browse Facebook to find something else to read. Before I knew it, it was past two in the morning. I should have been asleep a long time ago. 😭
I'm so sleepy. My eyelids are heavy. I can't stand it anymore...
2:40 AM
Call ended: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Johan: I told you not to fall asleep!
Johan: Get up and go to sleep properly in your bed.
3:15 AM
Johan: You're forbidden from taking on any more part-time jobs. Understand?
Johan: Message has been retracted.