*Proofreader:azzianna

As soon as I walked in and sat at my usual table to wait for the first exam, Q gave me a piercing glance. He whistled before opening his mouth to annoy me.

"He just confessed his love for me, and I instantly melted.
I was willing to lie down and let him caress me, sniff and admire my body until he was satisfied.
Nothing is more precious than being in that moment, fully alive and fully aware."
- A poem of King Nirandon (= Immortal)"

I will change your name from Mr. Immortal to Mr. Die Right Now.

[T/N: I've been struggling with this erotic poem of Nai Q for so long, finally I decided to give it up 😭. You couldn't expect me to write a poem in English. I can't even do it in my mother language. This is the word-by-word version. I would really appreciate it if someone could help me refine it.]

[This's Chat GPT 's polish version 😂. azzianna  said it was good and Nai Q's artistic vibe could be felt 😌

He whispered love, a fragile thread,
And I, a willing canvas, spread
Beneath his touch, my skin a map,
His fingers tracing secrets, tap by tap.
He breathed me in, a fragrant spell,
His lips like petals, soft and swell,
And I, a willing vessel, lay,
In that moment, alive, astray.
Nothing more precious, I declare,
Than being fully here, aware,
His love a fire, my heart a flame,
In whispered promises, we became 🌟✨]

I could only shake my head at his extreme madness. Let him babble on. We can't argue with a dog. Even though deep down, I really wanted to shout in his face Me and Phum have not yet crossed that intimate threshold!!!!!!!

We only....................>o<

"Yeah, now there's a Benz, BMW coming up to pick up and drop off. My old beetle car (Volkswagen Beetle) is meaningless now."

The fact that this bastard could mock me like this in the eyes of other friends who are diligently studying for the exam just ten minutes before entering the exam room. Heh, did you spend the whole night playing Winning and Dota? Why so diligent all of sudden?

"It's just normal, dude. Nowadays, money is hard to find. Whatever is good, I have to grab it first. I won't let myself get stuck with you for my whole life, Q, haha."

"Mmmm, just a few days ago, you almost didn't want to look at Phum's face. But now...heh...you're so easy, Dwarf."

[T/N: You're wrong. Peem glances at Phum all the time.]

"Easy? Where? I'm a man of dignity. Give him a chance to start with courtship."

"Be careful, if he gets bored, I'll laugh in your face."

I stood up and pushed Q's head before dragging him up to the execution ground. exam room!

...

..

.

I came out of the exam room in a daze. The test was not difficult. It's just that I didn't quite understand the question. They were in Thai but I'm really confused and don't know what they wanted from a Thai guy like me.

[T/N: "It's not that I don't know the answer. I just don't understand the question well." Keep for future use.]

Q had gone out and waited for me for twenty minutes. He was sitting there and sniffed the Poi Sian inhaler. I wasn't surprised with the fact that Q finished the exam early, what made my heart beat strangely was that it was not just one person at our usual spot; Phum was also sitting there..

"Hey, are you done with the exam?" I greeted him and chose to sit beside Q.

"Un, how did you do?"

"I managed. How about you? You look so happy, Ai Sat."

"I'm happy because I get to see your face, Shorty."

".........................."

".........................."

"Oh really? I thought I was the only one who is happy to see your face." I pretended to joke, but actually, I meant every word. What a man! Phum bust out laughing when I shot back at him.

"Can you two exit your own pink world and check out my situation a bit?" Q said sleepily with his eyes closed, an inhaler stuffed in his nostrils. He looked terrible. I just realized that exams can kill people.

[T/N: Q, we can send a F1 pit stop team to remove you - a third wheel, in 2.5 seconds or less]

After the exhausting exam, it was time to have lunch. Today we were forced to eat at the central cafeteria. It was an order from Fang that no one could disobey.

"Took you guys forever to get here." Mick greeted in a curt voice. He must still be dazed from the exam.

"Damn you Phum, you stick to my friend from dawn till dusk. Why haven't you take him to register (a marriage)." Chan raised his eyebrows and gave Phum a mischievous smile as soon as we lowered our asses to sit down. Phum smiled happily in response, while Chan received a middle finger from me.

Tan and Khao Fang were walking to the table with water bottles. The others went to buy rice. There were only Chan and Mick sitting as ghosts watching the table.

"Hey, Q, Q!" Tan shook Q's shoulder, who pressed his face against the table, "What's wrong with him, Peem?"

"Drunk on the exam." Tan chuckled and shook his head and tapped Q's head again. The other guys who went to buy rice came back and we switched turns to get our food. Phum just casually put his arm around my neck. Damn you, it's heavy.

Normally, with just five of us, it was already noisy. Now with nine at the table, it's like a whole market. At first, it seemed stressful because of the exam. But after a while, the mood changed very quickly.

"Where are we celebrating after the exam?" This voice came from a person who looked like he was about to die because of the exam ten minutes ago, but now he was back to normal.

"What the heck, Q, it's just the first day of the exam."

"Planning for the future, dude."

"I have no idea. Where do you guys wanna go?"

"Phi Nile's Pub?"

"Nah, I want a place where I can drink until I pass out and then can sleep right there. Ah, I know." Q turned and gave Phum a devilish grin.

"What?" Phum seemed to sense his fate. Rahu is about to bite his neck.

"Let's go to your condo ná Phum. Don't refuse or else I'll take my friend back."

You're not referring to me, right? I am not involved in this.

"Er, okay, sure."

"Mae, it's easy for you to say, man. It's a sign that you'll be a henpecked husband, haha." Q turned to high-fived and laughed happily with Mick. Phum couldn't do anything because those two were at the other end of the table.

"Er, Q you know what, it's good that you brought this up. Phum, Peem, what kind of relationship do the two of you have right now? What are you to each other?" Mick held out a chopstick and pointed it at my mouth like a mic for an interview. You want to play like this? Alright, as you wish.

"Well, I'm a man. Talking too much may damage Phum's image. Now we're friends, we're brothers, we're just talking and getting to know each other."

Beer laughed until he choked on the celebrities's typical response to dating rumors.

"And when will you be able to call each other "faen"?"

"We'll have to see how things go, it's a matter for the future."

"Got news that you've been to my little brother's condo already, is it true?" Fang chimed in.

"Not true."

"Liar!!!"

"How do you know I'm lying?"

"Because your face says it all." The whole table burst into laughter at Mick's accusation.

"Ha ha, fuck you Mick. I didn't make anyone pregnant."

"Phum, do you have anything else to say?" Everyone turned to look at Phum, wondering if he would take the joke or not, including me sitting beside him.

"No, Peem has already said everything."

"Ewwwwww" Q stretched his voice like Chelsea just won the Premier League. Huh, you better use a rope to pull the Blue cat up from fourth place in the table first before dreaming on, because this year the Red Devils are gonna lift the trophy.

"At first, it was Tan and Fang, now it's Phum and Peem. Great, you guys love each other. From now on, no one will come and steal girls from me. All the girls in the university will belong to me alone. Hahaha. Do you want any, Beer. Chan, Q? There's still some left. Just choose." Mick received a bunch of kicks from every direction. As for Beer, Q, and Chan, they looked at each other and then pretended to vomit in different directions.

"Anyway I think you guys are cute. I've never seen Phum like this before. He smiles a lot. Do you know that, you idiot?" Beer pushed Phum's head to lean on my shoulder, and I bent my head and turned to look at him. Phum was actually smiling. Because of that, they kept teasing him so I helped Phum by covering his face with my hand.

"Serious question, Phum. What do you like about Peem? He's short, he has a dog's mouth, and a plain face. The only thing he got is fair skin."

After all these years we've been friends, do I really look that bad in your eyes, Pan?

"I don't know. There's no reason. I just know that I like Peem."

[T/N: That's what they say "Beauty in the eye of beholder".]

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the jerks howled, pounding the table with excitement. Fang was so excited that he stood up and applauded his younger brother until Tan had to quickly pull his boyfriend down again.

[T/N: Fang was so happy for his little brother.]

Meanwhile, I just sat with my head down and ate my pork leg rice in silence. I shouldn't have helped you.

Sometimes you make my heart work too hard, you know?
...
..
.
Today, Phum brought books to study at my house. We have one last exam tomorrow, and then we have classes for a few days before a long break. It's almost New Year. He had to go this far because, he said, my place is shady, there are lots of trees, and good weather, so it helps to clear the (naughty) brain. Studying in an atmosphere like this makes it easier to memorize the formulas and, most importantly, Phum can flirt with me easily. It's so thoughtful, right? But it's also good, I don't want to stay home alone. So having him as a companion is better.

I gave up the soft sofa in the living room for him to sit on while I lay on the floor fighting with verb and adverb in English at his feet. Arts students and English do not belong together. We have to accept that universal truth.

[T/N: But Arts student and Engineering student are a match made in heaven 😏]

As for the engineering student, just seeing the books he brought almost made me faint. I can barely read the cover of his textbooks. What the hell are you studying? Why do you read so many books? Do you even need to use a formula even to buy food ?

Today Phum wore glasses. He was unusually handsome. I must not let him wear them outside the house. Hehe.

[T/N: Who are you to him? You haven't owned him yet.]

"Read your book. Why are you looking at my face? There's no physics formula on my face."

Normally, I don't understand what I read already, but now it's even worse with someone staring at me. I looked up and scolded Phum, who kept staring at my face. He was staring way too often and for too long. I'm going to start charging you for looking.

"Your face is so bland but you act as if it's worth a fortune."

"Hah, don't let me be handsome like you. I will win the Oishi sweepstakes* grand prize and go to Korea to get plastic surgery."

[*the promotion where you got a code or prize under the cap]

"Go ahead. you'll just waste anesthesia for nothing, hehe."

"Fine, just read your books, you asshole." You bully me every time you got a chance, huh?! I don't want to argue with him anymore so I went back to argue with English Grammar.

"Phum, both 'in' and 'at' can be used as prepositions of place. What's the difference?"

Whoever thinks I'm stupid, I won't be angry. I don't like English. I don't care.

[*The word in italic was in English. Peem's monologue was half Thai, half English 😅]

"Hmm, let me take a look."

I got up from my position and moved to sit cross-legged near Phum's feet. He put down his giant book and took my English textbook. He looked down at my face and smiled. He probably look down on me because I was stupid and had to sit on the floor, while he, the smart, upper-class one, sat comfortably on the sofa. Haha, it's because I sacrificed it for you.

"In" is used for large places, while "at" is used for small places."

"How so?"

"Like "in Bangkok", "in England", generally used for cities, provinces, countries."

"Oh."

"And for at, it is used for home, villages, like "at home", something like that."

"Ohh."

"So do you understand now, Shorty?"

"Just a little, but you're good at it."

Why didn't the Prof explain it like this?

[T/N: Because the Prof is not your faen.]

"I'm not good at it, but this, I studied in Grade 5."

Ouch! It was like being stabbed in the chest with a knife. It hurt more than being called stupid. You bastard, insult me again! Back in 5th grade, I was running naked and playing in the water in Chiang Mai. I vaguely remember that I used to study it before. But it's been a long time. I'm not a person who dwells on the past, so I forgot about it.

Grrrghhh :P

"Phum, why did you choose engineering?"

Phum raised his eyebrows, looked at me for a moment, then shoke his head and smiled, "Don't know."

"oh"

"Then why did you choose Fine Arts?"

"Well, I like art, I like drawing. Don't change the subject. Tell me, why did you choose to study engineering?"

"I study engineering because..." Phum trailed off and laughed until I slapped his leg. "Huh, why do you have to look so curious, Peem?"

"Well, I really want to know. I told you my reason so easily. Come on, tell me quickly."

"I chose engineering because......"

"because............."

"I wrote the wrong faculty code."

"Huh!!!!!!"

OoO :o

Oh my god, seriously, is there a case like this? I looked at Phum's face with the utmost astonishment but he was just smiling and chilling. I would like to give this to all of you who are about to go through the admission process this year. Remember, the most important step is to enter the right faculty code, or simply speaking be extra careful and detailed. Make sure you choose the right faculty. Don't be like this guy. But his score must be very high. Even though he entered the wrong major code, he was still accepted into engineering.

"So what did you want to study?"

"Photography, communication, something like this."

"Wow, sugoi*, handsome, rich, artistic, . You've got the full package."

[*すごい = awesome, superd]

He laughed and reached out his hand to push my head, almost almost making me fall backward. Phum took off his glasses and massaged the corners of his eyes.

"So is studying engineering hard?"

"Very"

"You guys are really good. If I were you, I'd definitely die under these books, haha."

"Right."

He smiled again. When he smiles, he radiates cheerfulness and appeal. I want him to smile like this more often.

^^ Smile for me often like this nà Phum!

Maybe I had been staring at him too much until Phum lowered his face and looked deeply in my eyes. His slender hands touched my cheeks. And the handsome owner of the smile that I'm obsessed with, leaned down closer.

I started to see Phum's face unclearly because he was too close. I closed my eyes when I felt the tip of our noses touching. His sharp nose tilted and pressed against my cheek. And soon a soft, warm feeling pressed against my lips. It's not just a physical warmth but that warm feeling still penetrates deep inside, causing the throbbing sensation on the left side of my heart.

We've kissed. Phum and I, WE KISSED!!!

End of chapter 18 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
.................................................

Author's note: Oh, Nong Peem asked me if I could really play like this. They've only been flirting for less than three days and he's already agreed to be Phum's boyfriend. So fast!

Sprite: I think three days is quite a while. Peem should say Yes before Phum changes his mind. Afterall, I agree with Q - Peem can't wait to surrender willingly, body and soul, to Phum.