North: How much is your love?

Chapter 32: Yours.

(>> Johan <<)

"Huh?"

"Are you listening to me?"

"I'm listening," the other man replied, his hand resting on his chin. Although his eyes didn't leave me, his mind seemed to wander elsewhere. A slight smile played on his lips as he noticed my sulking.

"Are you listening? All I see is you staring at my face."

"Go on."

"Well... It's late winter there. When the sky is clear, there's a chance to see the aurora borealis. I guess I'll have to hope for some luck, because the aurora doesn't appear all the time."

"Ah."

"And what about the city we're planning to go to? They say Tromsø is an ideal place to see the aurora borealis. That's a great option. But there are many other cities where you can see the aurora. What do you think?"

"It's up to you."

"This is all up to you to decide, but you've never been there before." I frowned and said, "What if you go alone to find the information and then don't have fun?"

 

Regarding our trip to Norway, we planned to go see the aurora borealis, as we had discussed during our holiday. And now, the holiday has arrived. Johan told me to do whatever I wanted to find out. He had no problem with the cost or time, as long as I planned everything. But if I did it alone, I was afraid the trip wouldn't turn out as planned because I'd never been abroad before.

 

"How could I not have fun when I'm with you?"

 

"Brother, remember not to complain later, okay?"

 

"I'm not complaining."

 

"How about we go up the mountain?" I asked when I suddenly remembered. I'd seen a few reviews about the place, and the views from the mountain were truly beautiful.

"Are you sure? If you want to, let's go."

“Hmm… okay. Taking pictures there shouldn’t be too difficult,” I said, hesitating slightly before taking out my phone and showing Johan a photo.

 

"That's beautiful." The other person stared intently at my phone screen. "Yeah, it's beautiful."

 

"Let's go then! If we go early in the morning, the scenery will be beautiful, and it won't be crowded." I said happily, "The scenery is gorgeous, I want to go."

"If you like it, then go," he replied, gently stroking my head. I began telling him about what I had read in reviews to see what was so interesting about the place.

But then, Johan…

"Can you…Can you please stop staring at me like that?" I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze. But no matter what, I couldn't escape his eyes.

"Am I not allowed to see my lover?"

"...Okay, but don't stare too much."

"Why?"

"Why are you staring at me like that? My face looks the same every day."

"Because they're adorable."

“…”

"You're most adorable when you talk about the things you like."

 

“Ah… Yes,” I replied shyly. I really didn’t understand why he was so good at saying things like that. Even though we were already a couple, he still acted like he was flirting with me. This was starting to make me feel awkward.

"Aren't you going to tell me anything more?"

"Oh... I've seen people driving around, and the scenery is really beautiful. The snow makes everything even more beautiful. If it snows on a day that isn't too heavy, how about we rent a car and drive around? Okay?"

"Okay."

"Will you give me a ride?"

"Of course."

"Acclaim!"

 

"Oh... I have a gift for you, too," Johan said. I looked up at him, feeling a little confused.

"What is it?"

"It's on the table in front of the sofa."

 

I immediately jumped up and ran to the table in the living room. Since I had been in the bedroom all morning, I didn't know what he had bought. Johan had gone out to work early this morning and had only just returned. My eyes lit up with joy when I saw what was placed on the table.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it! Thank you. Thank you so much!" I said, excitedly hugging the large box on the table. A PS4 that I've dreamed of my whole life 😭.

“But… my grades aren’t what we promised, are they?” I suddenly remembered and asked. I had previously agreed with Johan that I needed a GPA of 3.5 or higher to receive a PS4. But this semester I only got 3.27. Therefore, I had given up hope of getting the PS4.

 

"It's okay. You've worked really hard this semester."

"But…"

"How much did you get in your first semester?"

“2.7,” I replied.

"That's a lot of progress. Consider this a token of encouragement."

"Oh, thank you."

"Nothing. I'm glad you like it."

"Johan is so kind," I smiled, hugging the box tightly.

 

"But you have to pay me, I've been standing in the sun all morning," Johan said, his lips slightly pursed in embarrassment. I put the large box down and wrapped my arms around him.

"Thank you. I love you so much, Johan." I smiled brightly, tiptoed, and kissed him on the cheek. He just smiled softly, looking at me with tender eyes.

"That's worth more than ten thousand then."

 

“…” I pursed my lips shyly. What did the word “worthwhile” mean? I wrapped my arms around Johan for a little longer before letting go.

"Could you open it for me?"

"YES."

 

While he was opening the PS4, my eyes happened to catch sight of another box also sitting on the table.

A camera?

"Did you buy a new camera?" I turned and asked the person sitting next to me.

"Didn't you say you wanted one?"

 

"Oh... yes, I did say that, but I just meant to borrow the camera." I had planned to take lots of beautiful photos to keep as memories, but since I didn't have a camera, I intended to borrow Phoon's. But Johan bought one instead; it seems quite expensive.

"I've been very thoughtful towards you, so you absolutely must use it."

"Thank you. I'll be your photographer on this trip," I said, feeling incredibly happy. Even though my photos aren't as good as Ter's or Phoon's, I'll do my best to capture the most beautiful pictures we can keep as memories.

 

"Johan."

"Huh?"

"I'm so excited!"

"I see it," he replied, stroking my head affectionately. 

 

We're at the airport now, getting ready to leave for Norway. Norway… the aurora borealis… and snow too.

Ah, I'm so excited! This is my first time going abroad, and my first time flying, so I'm really nervous. I couldn't sleep last night; I woke up at 3 a.m., even though the plane doesn't take off until almost 10 a.m. Right now, I'm still not sleepy at all. To be honest, I'm incredibly excited. As I said before, ever since the semester exams ended, my heart has been set on Norway.

 

“Wow, my heart’s going to jump out of my chest!” I said excitedly while waiting for my flight. Clutching my ticket tightly, I turned to Johan and said, “Can I have a window seat? I want to enjoy the view.”

"Okay."

"Yeahhh!"

 

I sat down in a window seat, eagerly awaiting the moment the plane would take off. According to the time I checked online, we would arrive in the evening. The hotel was already booked, and we would begin our exploration tomorrow morning.

 

"Do you often travel abroad?"

"What?"

"I mean, do you travel often?"

"Yes, it happens quite often."

"So, where is the most beautiful place you've ever been?"

"Here."

 

Johan replied, his eyes meeting mine. I smiled faintly. Just a few simple words, that look, and that smile were enough to make my heart flutter.

"You're really good at flirting," I said, turning my head away to hide my blushing face, my eyes fixed on the window.

 

A little while later, the time for the plane to take off arrived. I was slightly startled as the plane gradually lifted off the ground. This was truly a novel experience for someone like me, flying for the first time.

"What do you usually do to relieve boredom when you're sitting on a plane for this long?"

 

“…”

"I'm so bored," I sighed, still excitedly admiring the view below. But when I looked down and realised the height difference, a shiver ran down my spine.

"Wow, it's so high, my legs are shaking."

"Are you afraid of heights?"

"Yes, I'm scared," I admitted, but not to the point of panic. After feeling the plane's stability, I gradually felt more at ease. "I'm so sleepy."

"Go get some sleep."

 

"Can I lean on you?"

"Okay." When Johan nodded in agreement, I gently lifted the chair's armrest and used the towel to make a pillow. Then I leaned over and rested my head on Johan's lap. The scent from him was incredibly comforting. It was a clean, gentle fragrance that made me feel relaxed and helped me fall asleep easily. He even put his arm around me.

"Sleep well," I whispered.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

(>> North <<)

Hello Norway!

But why is it so cold?!

 

I looked around excitedly. Although I was shivering from the cold, my sweater helped a little. It was late winter here, just as I had read online; for the locals, the weather was starting to warm up. But for a Thai person used to hot weather like me, it was still terribly cold. We're at the airport. Just seeing all the foreigners around makes me so excited.

Come on!

 

"So, where is my tour guide going to take me now?" Johan joked, because I had boasted that I would be his guide when we arrived in Norway.

"To the bus stop!"

"A bus?"

"Yes, I checked online. There's a bus from the airport. Uh..." I quickly pulled out my phone to double-check the information.

 

We arrived at a small house near the mountains, where our exploration trip would begin tomorrow. Accommodation had already been booked, and I absolutely loved the fresh, cool air here. I had already managed to take many photos while still on the bus.

 

"Would you like to go for a walk?" I asked as we were unpacking. It was still quite cold outside.

"Okay."

 

We went for a walk, and the scenery was so beautiful I couldn't take my eyes off it. This is exactly the kind of place I love: trees, flowers, a small path leading to the lake, and surrounding mountains.

"Norway is truly beautiful," I said, still holding my camera to photograph the surrounding scenery. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You've thanked me a hundred times already."

"I'm really grateful. Now, let me take a picture of you."

 

I turned my camera towards Johan, who was following behind me. He turned to look at the camera and gave a slight smile. I'd noticed him all morning; Johan was dressed impeccably in his travel clothes, and he looked really handsome. It had been a long time since I'd seen him like this. Oh my god, I think I'm falling in love with him… So much so that I can't find my way back.

 

"What are you looking at?"

I pouted when he caught me stealing a glance. Then I repeated what he'd once said to me: "You're just looking at your boyfriend."

Johan didn't seem bothered, just smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth when he heard me say that.

We continued our stroll. The lake water was icy cold, and the flowers and plants were so vibrant that it made me feel like spring had arrived. But in reality, it was only the end of winter, almost spring. I think the scenery would be even more beautiful if we had come during springtime.

 

When we returned, we stayed in a small but well-equipped house: it had a bedroom with a double bed and a fully equipped kitchen with fresh ingredients. If we didn't want to cook for ourselves, we could also buy food at the larger house located in the centre of the area.

 

"Shall we make pasta?" I asked as I opened the refrigerator to check the ingredients.

"Do you even know how to cook?" Johan asked, his voice tinged with teasing.

 

"I've been practising cooking," I said with a proud smile. Johan had mentioned wanting pasta last time, but I didn't know how to make it. So, I secretly practised cooking it. "Let me make some for you, it'll be delicious!"

"Okay."

"Yes, sir," I replied enthusiastically, and began cooking. Meanwhile, Johan sat at the dining table waiting.

 

"You're both my tour guide and my chef," he joked from behind.

"I will be everything for you."

"Thank you."

"Huh?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise at his unexpected remark.

"Thank you for being everything to me."

 

“Oh…it’s nothing. I’m so glad I could do that.” I smiled shyly. But since I had my back to Johan, he couldn’t see. Maybe that was better, because my face was probably very red. “Thank you too. You mean everything to me.”

 

"Come back here."

"…No."

"Why is your face so red?"

"Because I'm cooking."

"Really?"

"It's real!"

 

"Ah, there's a fireplace." He walked around the house, admiring things we hadn't noticed before because we'd rushed out that morning. This was the first time I'd ever seen a real fireplace; I'd only ever seen them in movies.

"How do I turn it on?"

"Let me do it. You go take a shower."

 

"Yes, yes, I'll go take a shower," I said and left.

 

After we both finished showering, I sat down on the sofa by the fireplace with Johan. The fireplace was burning, creating a warm atmosphere. I leaned against him, and he hugged me back. I really loved this feeling…

"I've only been here for a few hours, and I already like it. Would moving here be a good idea?"

"Do you want to stay?"

"Just kidding, but it would be great if it were possible."

"We can come and stay, it's up to you to decide."

 

"Is that really possible? It's moving to a completely different country."

"Probably, it's up to you," Johan said, hugging me tighter. He pressed his nose against my cheek. Every time he did that, I felt embarrassed. I probably would never get used to such gestures.

"You're spoiling me too much."

"Is there a problem?"

"No, not at all. It's just that no one has ever spoiled me as you have," I said, then turned and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "If you keep doing this, I'll change and become a spoiled child."

"No problem."

"Really?"

"North, you haven't changed at all since the first time I met you."

"Really?"

"YES."

 

"Is that a good thing?"

 

"Yeah, you've always been the best."

 

“…” I was silent for a moment, struck by his words. My heart raced; I liked it when he said that because it was so sweet. It made me realise that being here was the best. This is my place…

"Being your boyfriend would be nice too," I said. "But why have you never asked me why I like you so much?"

"Hmm, then why do you like me?"

"Because he's very kind."

"Really?"

"Not only that, but he's also been very good to me. Even though when we first met, I threw up on him, and I caused trouble and messed everything up."

"I was very angry at the time."

 

"Yeah, obviously you're angry," I said, trying to smile at him. Thinking back, it must have been so embarrassing that I threw up on Johan's shirt 😭

"Furthermore, if that hadn't happened… perhaps…"

"Don't mention it again."

"Why?"

"I'll be annoyed."

"Okay." I made a slightly annoyed face, "But you knew from the beginning that I was lying about my part-time job, didn't you?"

"YES."

"So why didn't you tell me from the beginning?"

 

"Wasn't it because you wanted to go to work at that time?"

 

“Ah…” I paused for a moment, lost in thought. He didn’t want me to work there, but since I wanted to, he didn’t mind. “Whatever you do. I’ll always be here to support you…”

The words Jo had said to me came back to mind.

"That's when I started thinking about it."

"Hmm?"

"It's good that you were at the arcade that day, and I was there too. Even though I wasn't very nice to you at first, I'm glad you waited for me."

"I already said it, I simply can't go anywhere."

“…”

"Forever."

That's all. If you can't go anywhere, you don't have to.

“If you tell me, I won’t go anywhere,” Johan said, resting his chin on my shoulder. 

 

“North too.”

"Really?"

"I'm not letting you go."

“…”

"It might sound a little selfish, but if North ever wants to leave, I definitely won't be able to remain calm when facing you."

 

“…”

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"No," I replied, "That day will never come. So just keep being nice to me; I'm a good child."

"Really?"

"Really? You're a good child."

 

He said nothing, simply gently cupped my chin and lowered his lips. A warm sensation flooded me, and I responded to each touch. His hot tongue explored every corner of my body. It felt like he was about to take everything. The familiar rhythm and kisses, the warm breath, and my heart racing. His hands began to wander, caressing me beneath my shirt.

 

"Tonight, be a good boy for me."

 

A deep, whispering voice in my ear made my heart race even more intensely than before, and I buried my face in the chest of the person in front of me.

 

"Ah, I'll be a good boy. So please don't be too rough with me."

 

"Alright."

 

It's already five o'clock...I closed my eyes and looked out the window while Johan was still asleep, but would be up in a little while. I thought about what happened last night and realised... Ah... when Johan treated me so kindly, then...I inadvertently placed my hand on the red mark on my neck, feeling a slight itch, evidence of what had happened yesterday. Since we'd been together for a month, there hadn't been a single moment when we weren't intimately involved.

 

Johan often said that my body would get used to it, and that was true. After waking up in the morning, I no longer felt pain from being unable to stand, except for the times he was too rough with me. Usually, on days when I didn't need to go out, I spent most of my time in bed.

 

It's really hard to get used to things like this. Every time I see him, my heart races, and lately Johan seems healthier than before. His muscles and six-pack abs are more toned because he has more time to work out. There was something unsettling about it, and Ter felt the same way. I noticed a red mark on his neck. Why did the doctors...?

Damned.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

"Wake up." I placed my coffee cup on the bedside table and went over to wake the still-sleeping person, "Let's go for a walk."

 

"Hmm."

 

"Johan."

 

"It's too early, I want to sleep in, please."

 

I couldn't help but smile at his words. Could you call that begging? That word might not be quite right for him, but it was adorable. I leaned down and gently kissed his cheek.

 

"Wake up."

 

"Good morning," Johan said before slowly opening his eyes.

 

"Go wash your face, I've prepared coffee. Let's go for a walk."

 

"Now?"

 

"Yes, let's go right now. There aren't many people, so we might even get to see the sunrise."

 

The scenery was truly beautiful. I got out of the villa and continued on to another place.

 

"The tour guide really did plan everything, didn't he?"

 

"Of course."

 

We went up a mountain road. More accurately, it was a cliff. This is the highest cliff in Norway, and a very popular tourist spot. Initially, there wasn't much along the way, but as we progressed, the path became a paved road.

 

"Ah!" I screamed in shock as I suddenly tripped. Luckily, Johan was quick to catch me.

 

"Thank you."

 

"Do you want to take a break?"

 

"It would be better to rest for a bit," I said before sitting down on the road. My legs were so tired.

"I told you to exercise, but you wouldn't listen," Johan complained, also complaining about some of my workouts because I was quite lazy when it came to exercising. So I was forced to go jogging every morning. After that, I started feeling lazy and couldn't get up easily, but I still had to go because I was forced.

 

"I did run."

 

"But here you're walking."

 

"I know, I just wanted to rest a little."

 

"What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to keep going?"

 

"Yes," I said angrily, "But I can't keep up with your pace."

 

"You didn't look that tired last night."

 

“Johan,” I whispered. Luckily, no one was around; they would have heard. 

 

“That’s enough, okay?”

 

"Next time, it's better to do this a day before you leave."

 

"Johan!" I gently slapped his arm, feeling annoyed. He always liked to tease me.

 

"Why did you hit me?"

 

"Because you talk too much."

 

"But you didn't feel any pain last night, did you?" Johan said, raising his hand to gently stroke my head. Immediately, I pouted.

 

“Let’s change the subject,” I said awkwardly before raising my camera and snapping a picture of the person sitting next to me. Why was he so serious about the camera? All the angles were good, even if the picture wasn’t great, as long as the model looked okay. I was so lucky to be photographing him…

 

Throughout the journey, we continued to enjoy the surrounding atmosphere. The walk wasn't too difficult because there were good paving stones, a flat path in the middle with a bridge, and a grassy field all around. It wasn't very bright yet, but the air was very pleasant for me. We walked to the end and looked down at the scenery below. I realised it was quite high, so I didn't dare look for too long because I was starting to get afraid of heights.

 

"Are you okay?" Johan asked.

 

"Yes."

 

When it came time to climb, I almost always had to rely on Johan, letting him hold my hand and pull me up. If I had gone alone, there would have been no hope of survival. And when I reached the top, the scenery was so beautiful that I could barely breathe…A gentle breeze blew through. We were high up, above the water.

From an altitude of six hundred meters, I looked ahead and saw a long mountain range against a brilliant orange sky. The sun was about to rise. Below, a very wide river flowed between the cliffs and the mountain range.

 

"Come here," Johan said. I looked up from the scenery in front of me and gazed at him.

 

"I don't want to, it's too close," I said fearfully. I felt too close to the cliff and was afraid of falling.

 

"It's OK."

 

“…”

"I'll keep you."

 

"Yes." I walked slowly and sat carefully beside Johan; it wasn't as scary as I thought. We sat there and watched the sky slowly change colour together.

 

“Let’s take a picture.” I raised my camera and took a photo of the two of us. The picture captured the whole scene. People started gathering, and then I asked someone else to take a picture of us. “Thank you,” I said to the person who took the photo. He smiled and left.

 

"You're good," Johan said, referring to the fact that I had spoken English earlier.

 

"Are you talking about my English?"

 

"Hmm."

 

"Well, I love this language. Otherwise, how could I have gotten a scholarship to go to America?"

 

"Okay," the other person said. I smiled shyly because I wasn't very smart; compared to Johan, who could speak English fluently, I was far behind. "If you like it, why don't you study the language?"

 

"I also like technology. Languages ​​are just for work or everyday communication."

 

“…”

 

"Furthermore, I would like to work with you to become an engineer for your company."

 

"Is that what you wanted?"

 

"Yes, so please think of me as an engineer."

 

"Okay, approved."

 

"Really?"

 

"Because I already have the heart of an engineer."

“…”

 

I pursed my lips, trying to control my embarrassment. I started to feel my face getting hot again, even though the air here was really cold.

 

"Well then, doctor, you've won this engineer's heart."

 

We went back. I waited for my phone signal to post photos of us together on Instagram. I posted a picture of the scenery in the background, the cliff we had just seen. I captioned it: "Doctor - Engineer :)"