You(r) Tuber Vol 1.

5 Chop-khun Wants to be a Mole

 

BAM!

 

Chop-khun accidentally slammed the door shut on the startled person at the doorbell. Oh shit! I thought it was a delivery person. I completely forgot that In was coming over today!

 

Chop-khun couldn't even find the words to describe how he felt at that moment. Any trace of grogginess vanished instantly when he opened the door to find Intouch standing there, looking as stunning and fresh as ever. 

 

Meanwhile, he was still in his pyjamas—baggy teddy bear print pants and an old, stretched-out white T-shirt he'd been wearing for years. His appearance screamed just woke up, and it wasn't a good look.

 

To make matters worse, his face was probably a mess. He'd cried so hard the night before that his head and eyes still ached. He didn't even know when he'd fallen asleep in the living room.

 

If Chop-khun were to recount last night, it went something like this: after crying his heart out like he was filming a heartbreak music video, he had felt a surge of determination to outdo those two. The saying Know your enemy and yourself, and you'll win every battle, something his father had drilled into him since he was a kid, popped into his head. So, he stayed up scrolling through his phone, watching videos from his ex's channel at three in the morning.

 

The video he watched was a celebration of reaching 900,000 subscribers. It featured Tewit taking his three team members on a beach trip and engaging in thrilling activities, in the channel's usual entertaining style. And, of course, the new addition to the video was none other than Pluem, who'd just been introduced in the previous clip.

 

Tewit and his team took turns sharing behind-the-scenes stories and picking their favourite episodes, including older ones that Chop-khun had been a part of. But, of course, there was no mention of him in the video. Everyone acted as if he'd never existed on the channel.

 

Chop-khun didn't blame the team members at all. After all, they couldn't go against their boss, Tewit. When they worked together, everyone had been kind to him, especially Khim, the editor, who was the closest to him.

 

Khim was a petite woman, always cheerful and full of positive energy, who brightened up the studio. Chop-khun couldn't help but be taken aback to see someone as talkative as Khim unusually quiet in this video. Even so, Tewit and the rest of the team managed to create a fun atmosphere, and Pluem fit right in.

 

Despite being new, Chop-khun had to admit that Pluem seemed to click with Tewit and the team, knowing just how to deliver punchlines to make things even funnier, something Chop-khun could never do. Back then, Tewit and the team always teased him for being slow, calling him a snail because he couldn't keep up with their jokes.

 

Thinking about it, the audience for his channel and his ex's channel were worlds apart. There was no way he could create the kind of lively, joke-filled content they did. Just imagining trying to joke around with the one team member he had now made him shake his head.

 

Intouch was even quieter than he was.

 

As he watched the video to the end, Chop-khun felt a pang in his chest. Tewit and the team had planned a romantic surprise to ask Pluem to be his boyfriend by the sea, just like he'd done with Chop-khun before. The only difference was that when Tewit asked him out, it'd been just the two of them, with no cameras or anyone around.

 

Tewit hugged Pluem, who couldn't stop crying, before pulling out a necklace from his pocket.

 

"I had this custom-made just for you, Pluem," Tewit said.

 

There it was. That was the same sentence Tewit once said, not even a hint of creativity.

 

When the camera zoomed in, Chop-khun saw that the necklace Tewit gave his new boyfriend was identical to the one he'd given him before. The only difference was that the pendant now bore Pluem's name instead of his.

 

Good thing I've already thrown that necklace away.

 

Chop-khun couldn't bear to watch any longer and scrolled down to read the comments under the video. The first comment, pinned at the top with thousands of likes, read:

 

"Amazing work! I've been following since there were only a few hundred subscribers. Wishing you a million subs soon. You deserve it for all your hard work and dedication, Te!"

 

If Chop-khun had read this comment in the past, he would've been happy for Tewit. But now, he clenched his fists tightly. His own channel didn't even have 500 subscribers yet. Reaching the first thousand felt like an impossible dream.

 

For the first time, Chop-khun began to question whether he could really do it. As he continued reading the comments, most of them were about the new couple.

 

"P'Te and P'Pluem are so cute together! I screamed into my pillow ten times when P'Pluem blushed at P'Te!"

 

"Wishing you two a long and happy relationship. I've never seen P'Te look at anyone like this before. I want to be P'Pluem."

 

"P'Pluem makes P'Te so happy. They're perfect for each other."

 

"I believe now that Pluem is truly Te's special someone."

 

He remembered crying as he read those comments until he fell asleep with his phone in hand. Why had he been so emotional last night? 

 

The next thing he knew, Kati was nudging his arm persistently, and the sound of the doorbell snapped him out of his groggy state. Without thinking, he assumed it was the usual morning delivery and opened the door, only to find Intouch standing there. Panicked, he shut the door in his face, completely forgetting his manners.

 

He wanted to smack himself for wasting time on pointless things, which had led to this awkward situation. Once he was fully awake and composed, he ran a hand through his messy brown hair, tied it up in a loose bun with bangs, and slowly cracked the door open again.  Seeing the questioning look on Intouch's face, he hastily explained the truth. What excuse could he possibly give?

 

"I'm so sorry. I got startled. I accidentally fell asleep last night and forgot to set an alarm," Chop-khun said sheepishly, unsure of what expression to make other than offering a weak smile.

 

"Oh, I see," Intouch replied.

 

Chop-khun noticed the slight furrow of his brow and the calm, steady gaze, which only made him feel guiltier. If he were Intouch, he'd be upset too. They'd planned to work together, and here he was, just waking up. It was incredibly irresponsible.

 

Feeling dejected, he stepped aside to let the man into the house. As he locked the door, he took a deep breath before turning to face him again.

 

"Where's your car, In?"

 

"I parked it outside, in the usual spot."

 

"Oh, okay. Sorry about that. Next time, I'll leave the gate open for you," Chop-khun apologised, his face paling even more.

 

"It's fine. I stopped by Starbucks and wasn't sure if you drank coffee, so I got you an iced chocolate."

 

"Thank you. That's so thoughtful of you."

 

"It's nothing, really."

 

Chop-khun took the cup. It was an iced chocolate with whipped cream and caramel, just the way he liked it. Intouch even remembered his order from that day.

 

Seeing this made Chop-khun feel even more embarrassed. He could barely face Intouch, who'd driven through Bangkok's infamous morning traffic to work at his house, yet still found time to buy coffee for himself and even thought to get something for Chop-khun as well. He silently berated himself as he led the taller man to the living room.

 

"Here, I found the house design sketchbook. Take a look while I go shower real quick." 

 

Chop-khun grabbed the book from the shelf and handed it to Intouch. "Sorry again for wasting your time."

 

"It's okay. You're still planning to shoot upstairs today, right?"

 

"Yeah, definitely. I'll be quick."

 

"Alright, I'll set up the equipment while I wait."

 

Seeing Intouch's calm, neutral expression made Chop-khun feel even worse. Normally, he'd never let anyone wait like this, especially someone as responsible as Intouch. This situation was far from ideal. He shouldn't have let his personal issues interfere with work like this.

 

Sigh. How many times did I sigh today?

 

Chop-khun glanced at Kati, who immediately followed Intouch around, and shook his head.

 

"Kat, come eat," Chop-khun called out.

 

After feeding the young dog, he trudged upstairs, feeling even gloomier than the night before. He sipped his iced chocolate several times, hoping it'd lift his spirits. On bad days, at least good food and drinks could heal the soul.

 

Eh, wait a minute.

Who's that?

Who?!

 

Chop-khun stepped back to look at the large mirror near the door. Please tell him that wasn't his face in the reflection.

 

Seeing his own face clearly, his eyes widened in horror. Now he understood why Intouch had asked if they were still shooting today. His eyes were more swollen than he'd thought. His face looked like he'd been punched. While the bruising could be covered with makeup, the puffiness was another story. And what was that eye gunk and dried drool on his cheek? Chop-khun wished he could transform into a mole and burrow far, far underground from Intouch.

 

Meanwhile, while the homeowner was upstairs showering, Intouch opened the study door. He noticed a new, larger office chair placed at his desk. On the desk was a sticky note with a Jerry Mouse design, written in neat handwriting:

 

I noticed your old chair was too small. Consider this a gift for working together. Hope it's comfortable for you.

 

After reading the note, Intouch tried out the chair, adjusting it until it fit perfectly. Then, he began moving the equipment stored in the room to the living room to set up.

 

Once he confirmed that the camera, microphone, tripod, and lights were all ready, he sat down on the large sofa and picked up the house design sketchbook from the coffee table. His sharp eyes glanced at the tiny dog sitting on the floor, staring up at him with wide, curious eyes, before returning his attention to the book in his hands.

 

Beep!

 

A squeaky rubber ball was carried over by the young dog, catching Intouch's attention as he glanced down at the floor again. Once Kati noticed the gaze, the Pomeranian dropped the ball from his mouth and used his tiny paw to nudge at the tall man's leg, inviting him to play.

 

Intouch ignored him for a moment, but when the nudging didn't stop, he finally picked up the ball and tossed it lightly. Kati, thrilled, scampered after the ball with excitement.

 

Before the serious man could even turn to the next page of the sketchbook, the ball was already back at his feet, dropped there by Kati, who nudged his leg again with anticipation.

 

Intouch let out a soft sigh, a small smile forming on his lips as he saw the eager look in the dog's eyes. He picked up the ball and threw it farther this time.

 

Crash!

 

He whipped his head toward the source of the noise. The trash can in the corner of the room had toppled over, caused by Kati, who'd run into it at full speed. Intouch caught sight of the culprit, startled, and darted away to hide under the kitchen chair with the ball still in his mouth.

 

The tall man got up and walked over. Seeing that the spilt trash was clean, mostly paper and boxes, he crouched down and began picking up the crumpled papers to put them back into the trash can.

 

As he cleaned up, he noticed one sticky note that wasn't crumpled like the others. His eyes caught the handwriting, which matched the note he'd seen earlier in the study.

 

Next year, I'll live in this house with Te.

 

After reading it, Intouch crumpled the paper in his hand and tossed it into the trash. He continued cleaning until he came across a small overturned box on the floor, and its lid was in another direction.

 

Picking up the box, his dark eyes landed on a sticker photo and a medicine that had spilt out onto the floor. It wasn't hard to guess why the homeowner's eyes were so swollen. He placed everything back into the box and then tossed it into the trash can as well.

 

Chop-khun felt like a hamster running on a wheel, rushing around in a frenzy like never before. He took the fastest shower of his life. Luckily, all the clothes in his dressing room were already ironed, so he quickly grabbed the outfit he had in mind, a white T-shirt and knee-length shorts, something casual to make the video feel more relaxed and informal.

 

He didn't style his hair like he usually did, just blow-drying it into shape. His bangs, which were usually long and in his face, were hastily pushed back since he didn't have time to be meticulous. The dark circles under his eyes looked slightly better, thanks to the haphazard application of concealer.

 

But he had no idea what to do about his still-puffy eyes. Today, he'd have to ask Intouch to focus on filming the house instead. Everything was falling apart because of him.

 

Not wanting to keep Intouch waiting any longer, Chop-khun hurried downstairs after making sure everything was in order upstairs. As he passed through the kitchen to the silent living room, he saw Intouch sitting on the sofa, flipping through the house design sketchbook. 

 

On the table in front of him was an iced Americano, more than halfway finished. Scanning the room, he spotted Kati chewing on a toy intently on his bed, not bothering the guest at all. Such a good boy! I guess he deserves a little treat.

 

When Kati saw Chop-khun, he quickly ran over, trailing behind his owner as he walked to the sofa.

 

"I'm ready. Should we start filming?" Chop-khun broke the silence.

 

"Do you want to eat something first? We still have time." Intouch looked up from the sketchbook at the one who'd just sat down on the other sofa.

 

Chop-khun longed to tell the other that he was starving, but how could he eat now? He'd already been rude enough. So, he forced himself to decline politely.

 

"No, it's fine. I'm not that hungry. Let's just start filming."

 

But, as if on cue, the moment he finished speaking, his stomach let out a loud growl. It was so loud that even Kati tilted his head in confusion, staring at him. What the heck kind of day is this?

 

Chop-khun lowered his gaze to the floor, picking up the small dog and placing him on his lap.

 

"I'm not that hungry," he said, not daring to look up at Intouch.

 

The living room fell silent for a moment before Intouch spoke up.

 

"I forgot to set up the camera and mic, so we can't start filming yet anyway. It's almost noon. Let's eat first so that we can film straight through afterwards."

 

"Oh, that works. Is there anything you like? I'll order it," Chop-khun said, barely able to hide his relief.

 

He was genuinely starving. Last night's crying had utterly drained him, and he usually needed to eat something in the morning before working.

 

"Not really. I'll have whatever you're having," Intouch replied.

 

"Alright, I'll order chicken rice from the place nearby. It's good and quick," Chop-khun said.

 

"Okay, but no skin for me."

 

"Regular portion?"

 

"Yes, regular."

 

Chop-khun nodded as he tapped away on the delivery app. "No skin for In, regular portion. For me, it has to be extra-extra skin, too," he muttered to himself, carefully typing in the details to make sure nothing was missed.

 

After placing the order, he couldn't help but smile at the thought of the food on its way. But when he looked up from his phone and met Intouch's gaze, he instantly wiped the smile off his face.

 

Is it that obvious I'm hungry?

 

"My sister said cold spoons can reduce eye puffiness. I put some in the fridge earlier. You should try using them as it might help," 

 

Intouch suggested in his calm, deep voice.

 

"Oh, uh, thanks."

 

Appreciating the thoughtful advice, Chop-khun walked to the kitchen, took two chilled spoons from the fridge, and gently rolled them around his puffy eyes.

 

It really does feel better. How many things has he helped me with so far? Since we met, I can't find a single flaw in this guy. Chop-khun lifted the spoons slightly from his eyes and sneaked a glance at the man sitting upright on the sofa. Can someone really be this perfect?

 

He's striking, talented, kind, and, plus, patient. When the man in the living room turned to look at him, Chop-khun quickly pressed the spoons back to his eyes. But he couldn't stop thinking about this cameraman.

 

Is In always this kind to everyone? Well, you can't judge someone in just a day or two. Chop-khun nodded to himself, agreeing with his own thoughts. Even Tewit, after five years together, had shown his true colours only now.

 

Yup...

I can't trust anyone that fast. Nobody shows their true colours this early!

 

Rolling the spoons around his eyes for a while longer, Chop-khun finally removed them, now barely cold. He nearly jumped when the person he'd been silently criticising in his head was suddenly standing in front of him.

 

"Uh, do you need something, In?" Chop-khun asked, startled, holding the spoons awkwardly against his cheeks like he was posing for a restaurant ad.

 

"About the chair, thank you. It's really comfortable," Intouch said, a faint smile revealing dimples on both cheeks.

 

Can I add one more thing to the list? How did I forget about those adorable dimples?

 

Whoever gets Mr In as a boyfriend must've saved the world in their past life.