Proofreader: SMV2454

From that day, when I found out the reason why the handsome guy had a scar in his heart, I, as a kind and handsome young man (who's throwing up, huh? Who's throwing up? Come here if you dare), tried to pamper Phum as much as I could. Like, "Nong Phum, you don't have to do anything, let Pa Peem handle it." Until Phum got suspicious (or maybe annoyed, I don't know) and accused me of taking sedatives until my brain went haywire. That was it, I stopped caring about him. Phum laughed a lot, hugged my neck gently, shook me gently and whispered:

"Since you came into my life, everything's been fine. You don't have to try to do anything for me, understand, Shorty? Just having you by my side like this... That's enough."

Being important to someone is truly a wonderful feeling.

My life these days isn't very eventful, even though the final exam season is approaching. Unlike Phum, whose life is very chaotic because the basketball competition started a while ago. He's been competing and training hard. Before each match, the coach made them go into isolation (I don't know how, but Phum managed to sneak a call to me every time, haha).

I sometimes go to watch his games, sometimes I don't, because the competition venue is at a different university. The host university is far away, so I can't go every time he competes (but actually, it's near my university, haha, but I don't go because I'm lazy, haha).

As for the competition results, Phum's team never disappoints. Tomorrow, they will compete in the final against the defending champion. It wouldn't be a big deal if the defending champion weren't the host university. This time, it will be a test of both skill and luck.

Phum was called by the coach to go into isolation since yesterday. As for me, who has been cooped up at home since Friday, today I decided to go out and see the world a bit. The place I chose to hang out is Q's house ^O^.

It's a medium-sized two-story house in a regular housing estate. Q moved out to live alone since the first year because he craves freedom. If he lived in a condo, he was afraid the neighbors would hang themselves because of the noise from his music practice.

If he stayed at the Yodsawatin's Palace, his parents might be scared of their son when he shows his artistic side, like yelling when he can't finish a painting on time, arguing with paint cans, paper, and pencils as if they were alive (which I sometimes do too).

So, it's good for everyone that Q moved out to live alone, especially for us who like to skip classes to drink with Nueng's gang often (kids under 18, don't imitate this because it will become addictive, haha).

And since this housing project is one of his family's businesses, Q cleverly invited Tan to live with him because this house is a twin house with a koi pond and a small wooden bridge separating the two houses within the same fence.

This suits Fang perfectly because he's just as eccentric. Q once told me that he saw Fang climbing the roof to add to his invention. When Tan came back and saw it, they had a debate that almost broke the house. It became a topic that Q teased Fang about for a while.

"Where the hell are you, Q? Q, open the door for me!"

I stood yelling and pressing the doorbell for a long time, but Q didn't come to open the door. I called his mobile, but he didn't answer. It's almost noon now. Don't tell me you're still not awake. And the small door couldn't be opened either. Out of frustration, I kicked the iron door to hurt my foot for fun. Damn it, I'll go find Tan instead.

I walked a couple of steps and reached the front of the legendary couple's house. Looking inside, hmm, Fang's car isn't here. But I hope someone is home because I don't want to waste my trip. I rang the doorbell while trying to push the small gate. This time it opened, yay!

"Oh, how did you get here?" It was Fang who came out to meet me, wearing only shorts, showing his pale upper body. He had a brown headband on, a pencil tucked behind his ear, and some twigs or something in his hand.

"I was bored at home alone, so I came to see you guys. What are you doing?"

"About to start on a model. I haven't slept for two nights. Have you eaten?" Fang left me in the living room and disappeared into the kitchen. Hmm, Fang really hasn't slept.

I haven't been to their house for a month, I guess. It was messy then, and it's still messy now. Weird-looking lamps, metal frames, wire frames, computer parts, electrical panels scattered all over the house. Would it be ok to say that my room with Phum is in the same condition?

"I had breakfast, but if you have something delicious, I can eat more. Hey Fang, why is the other house so quiet? I called Q for a long time, but he didn't answer."

"Maybe Toey stayed over. Last night I heard sounds like pots and pans clashing. I think they killed each other."

"Hahaha."

Fang came back to sit on the sofa opposite me, with a cold drink in a strange-shaped clear glass.

"That glass is strange. Where did you get it, Fang?"

"I made it myself. It's not strange, it's called stylish. And you have to see it as beautiful, because if you think otherwise, your corpse won't be beautiful. Okay? And where's my brother?"

Even my thoughts and opinions must be controlled by you. Both you and your brother are the same. Hmph.

"He's in isolation. He has a final match tomorrow. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, and you're out  and flirting around. Did you tell him? Hehe. He'll skip practice and drag you back to the golden cage."

"Damn. Are you alone? Where's Tan?"

"He went to Foodland (supermarket). Speaking of him, it feels like he's been gone for a while. Do you want anything, Peem? I'll tell him to buy it."

"Anything is fine."

Then he grabbed the phone and called Tan, "Hey Tan... don't need to say "krub" with me... why did you answer late, waiting for your dad to transfer the call?.. Buy food for Peem too... I don't know, maybe he misses me... yeah, hurry up, don't make me call again." He sat with one knee up on the sofa, the same arm resting on the knee, holding an unlit cigarette. "Your friend is crazy, always making me angry."

"Hehe, if you don't like him, find a new one."

"You're so mouthy. You'll end up with your brother-in-law as your husband too, haha."

Fang, you bastard!

I sat watching TV, waiting for Fang to go take a shower. After a while, I heard Tan's car and his loud voice calling for help with the groceries.

"Honey, I'm back. Come and show me your handsome face!!"

After a while, I heard the thumping sound rushing down the stairs and saw Fang's back running out to the front of the house.

And...

"You idiot!"

Hehe, so this is how their weekend life is.
...
..
.

We sat eating Fang's cooking, with me as his assistant. The taste wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible either. It was just edible. But Tan must be used to his boyfriend's cooking by now. I think even if Fang stir-fried pumpkin peel with water hyacinth, Tan would still find it delicious.

"Peem, where's your guardian angel? Why did he let you out of his sight?"

There it is again. Fang just asked, and now you want to know too.

"He's practicing basketball."

"Oh, Fang said he's competing tomorrow? My brother-in-law is talented. Are you going to watch Phum's game, KhaoFang?"

"Of course, my brother is competing."

"And so is your husband."

Whack!!! Fang's palm landed right on Tan's head. Haha, served him right.

"Ouch, Fang, that hurt! Peem, look at him, he's hurting your friend."

"Want another one? Haha."

I laughed as they bickered and ate. Tan kept teasing his boyfriend, and Fang, whether angry or embarrassed, always retaliated physically, biting his lip and glaring. Tan just enjoyed it more, even though it got noisy.

But it was a nice atmosphere in their own way, on a weekend like this.

"Hey Tan, why do you have so many Sponsors (energy drink) in your fridge?"

"Oh, I drink them to replenish fluids after late-night activities, Peem. Haha. Ouch, Fang, stop, it hurts. Enough, haha."

Crash!!!!!!!

The sound of breaking glass made Fang stop hitting Tan. We looked at each other before peeking at the other house, which seemed to be the source of the sound. But we didn't know what caused it.

Tan and Fang seemed to know, though. They went back to eating as if it was normal. Hey, what about me? Tell me too!

"What was that sound, Tan? It seemed to come from Q's house."

"Haha, it's always like this. If you hear glass or pots breaking, it means Toey is there. Hahaha. Right, Fang?"

Is it really that intense? I thought Fang was joking.
Then we heard shouting.

"Toey, do you understand that I can't make it? Look at my mouth, I-CAN'T-MAKE-IT."

"But Toey wants to eat. P'Q, make it now. Toey wants Nam Tok (meat salad)."

"I said I can't! If you want it so much, go to Chet Sao Noi. Go eat until your stomach bursts."

[*น้ำตก /nam tok/ translates to "waterfall", and is also name of a dish - meat salad. Chet Sao Noi waterfall is a famous waterfall in Thailand.]

"P'Q told Toey to eat Nam Tok until my stomach bursts. P'Q sees Toey as Chuchok (a beggar). P'Q doesn't love Toey."

"Oh, damn. Fine, go shower, I'll take you to eat."

"Yes! Love you the most!"

"Hey, I said go shower. Why are you following me?"

"Because Toey wants to be close to P'Q."

"Oh my god."

Haha, Q, your weekend life is the most interesting.
...
..
.

And finally, the day we've been waiting for has arrived ^o^. The day Phum and Kluen will bring glory to the university. The university basketball championship final is about to begin. The atmosphere is similar to my university's intramural sports, but perhaps more lively and festive. After all, the institution's pride is at stake. Even though people normally complain about their own university but when they have to compete with other people, they can unite for the dignity of the institution.

The cheering squad on the other side is going all out... Well, they are the hosts, so naturally, they have more people. But our cheering club isn't slacking either. They've come to show their top-notch cheering skills, led by the vice president of the student organization, Panpan, and his duo partner, Mick, who stands there showing his handsomeness for the cheerleaders. It's really a headache.
Including the president of the cheering club, Green, and her gang of girls, who have come to entertain in full throttle, cheering as if their lives depended on it (according to insider info from Phum, they've been to every game Phum has played. True die-hard fans, you guys).

And the highlight of the event has to be the law faculty president, Khun Chai Beer, a royal descendant, who sacrificed himself to help beat the drums, smiling sweetly and exuding a noble charisma that made both real and fake girls from both universities swoon.

Chan, Q, Toey, Matt, and I just arrived because we just finished our morning class. Tan waved at us, standing out again, getting stared at again. Chan, hurry up and walk. You idiot, why are you smiling?

When we arrived, Fang got up to sit on the third stand to make room for us. He straddled Tan, who was sitting below, and played with Tan's head like he was a dog. Haha.

"Chan ka, my tooth hurts so much ka. Can you please check it out for me?" Gigi, my ex-wife, left her sisters in the stands and ran towards Chan as soon as we sat down. Beer, Pan, and Green followed, leaving Mick and the fourth-year seniors to compete with the other team.

[T/n: Ex-wife??? 😂 So you admit you cheated on her? You had an affair with Phum while still being in a relationship with her. Poor Gigi 🤣🤣🤣]

"Yes, Chan. Whenever Katie sees your face, I feel like my heart skips a beat. Maybe it's a heart condition."
Tan laughed out loud, so he got slapped by Katie who made a sexy face. This time, it was Fang who burst out laughing.

"Katie, didn't you tell me you had a disease that made you crave men? What disease do you have, huh?" I teased her. She immediately turned to glare at me.

"Chan ka, my heart really aches."

"When Katie and Gigi are free, come for a check-up ^_^."

"Yeah! Chan, you're the cutest, unlike Green's husband."

"Hey, you flirt!  Don't you dare insult my husband. He might be a jerk with a foul mouth, but he's got a good four and a half inches*, you know."

"Ha ha ha ha!" Four and a half inches*, that's hilarious! Q was fuming.

"Fuck, double it, quickly." Q went after Green and twisted her boobs. She screamed so loudly it hurt my ears. Toey was laughing and cheering his faen enthusiastically. These guys are crazy, finding joy in others' pain.

"Oh my gosh. Double it, my hubby? Hmm...  4x2=8. Oh my God! It's as big as my ex-husband's. So awesome. So awesome." Green pretended to widen her eyes, covering her mouth with her hand and putting the other hand on her chest. How can you be so good at acting, my friend?

[T/n: who's your ex husband, Green? An elephant?
Guys, I have never thought about it. Did Green, Gigi and Katie appear in the series?]

"Hey, really? Is your hubby really eight inches*, Green? How could he be that long?"

"It's true."

"Shit!!!" "Human or mammoth?" Pan, who has a problem with this, had to come out and show his stance. Hahaha.

Green pouted and continued talking: Gigi and Katie are having sex with Chan through their breaths. Haha, you really think of something, Gigi. She said that even if they had sex through their breaths, that would be good.

"Really, man. Oh my, eight is still too little. Before, it was ten inches*."

"Damn, why are there only eight inches* left? Did it shrink or something?"

I want to know too. Haha.

"No, it didn't shrink. He fell off a motorcycle. Two fingers* were severed. The doctor couldn't reattach them in time for my husband, so he has eight fingers* left. Hahaha."

OoO

"Green, you bitch, you อีช้างเย็ส, I thought you were talking about d*ck. Do you mean fingers? Get her far away from me. Don't let her come near me or people will think I know her." Q cursed the beautiful girls.

[*นิ้ว 1. Finger, toe 2. Inch 😂😂😂
อีช้างเย็ส  (or เย็ด)The term comes from insulting a person who is so promiscuous that her v*gina can be fucked by a large animal like an elephant.]

"Hahaha."

"And then they went back to the cheerleaders, but they kept coming back to us because the stands were connected. Some cheerleaders didn't look at the players but turned to look at us instead. Er...
...
..
.

Right now, the players are warming up. Today, they'll wear black outfits, but now they're wearing white warm-up shirts with the university's name printed in large letters on the back. Phum zipped his jacket all the way up to his neck. Wow, he's too cool! This is just the warm-up, and people are already screaming. Does Phum have a fan club?

"Oh my gosh, if I want to be the manager of this team, how much do I have to pay? Tell me, how much do I have to pay?" Bank, one of the members of Green's gang, pointed around, wanting everyone on the team.

"P'Phum!
"Fight!"
"P'Phum!"
"Fight!"
"P'Phum!"
"MINE!" said Green. Hahaha.
"N'Kluen!"
"He's mine too. I'll grab both and eat them together. Hoho."
"Ahhhh!!!! Green, don't get greedy. Share with us. P'Kluen, P'Kluen!!!"

The fans shouted Kluen's name, so he waved and smiled at them. The girls and even some guys almost fainted. Kluen laughed shyly and turned to see me. I raised my eyebrows at him, and he smiled before going to his friends who were cheering.

"Hia Phummmmm!!!!!! Hia Peem is cheating!"

Fuck you Toey! What the heck are you shouting about? When Phum heard Toey's loud voice, he walked over to the stands with a serious face, and at the same time, I chased Toey and kicked his ass.

"Hia Phum, help Toey! Hia Peem is going to kill Toey." Toey ran to hide behind Phum and stuck his tongue out at me. That brat.

"Why are you guys so late? I told you to come at noon." Phum threw a tantrum as soon as he arrived. I'm here to watch you, so consider yourself lucky.

"We just finished class. We made it in time."

"Yeah, missing Peem won't affect the game, right?"

That's right, Chan.

"But it affects me."

"Woohoo!"

"Damn, you're annoying. Go back to your coach. Go!" Don't crack jokes with these buffaloes. I'm embarrassed. I said as my friends cheered and even raised their hands in the air T_T.

"Heh, Peem, kiss my cheek." Still not stopping.

"Here we go. Toey, come here. Let's watch the live show." Q dragged Toey, who was trying to snatch Matt's iPad to play games.

"Peem, if you dare to kiss, I'll give you two thousand per side." said Fang, resting his chin on Tan's head. He raised his eyebrows and smiled at me.

Not even for twenty thousand. The gym isn't small, and more than half are staring at Phum. Then the coach called Phum, saving me. He took off his long-sleeved shirt and put it over my head. Ugh, the perfume.

But before running to join his teammates, he suddenly turned back and pecked me on the lips. Damn, he's bold. The screams shook the gym.

"Ahhh!!!!!! N'Phummm!!!!!!"

"Oh my goodness! If I don't cheer for our university, would it be wrong? He's so handsome."

I was stunned, completely stunned, unlike Q and Tan, who couldn't stop laughing.

"Phumin, the value that Peeranat deserves." said Fang. What kind of slogan is that?

[It is inspired from L'Oreal's slogan คุณค่าที่เราคู่ควร (The value that we deserve)]

I tried to regain my composure, but it didn't care about me. It was gone. It didn't come back. Phum, damn you, it's all your fault.

The first quarter started off closely contested, with both teams taking turns scoring. The cheers were loud, competing with the squeaking of shoes on the court. They played very fast, like pros. Is this the national team or something? It seemed like our side had the upper hand because we were leading. By the end of the first quarter, the score was already over sixty.

In the second quarter, it felt like the game got rougher and more intense, but not in a good way. There were intentional collisions meant to hurt, and it seemed like they were targeting Kluen because he was the playmaker. Strangely, the referees didn't seem to notice, even when it happened right in front of them. Well, we're not the hosts, after all.

"Kluen, are you okay?"

"Yes, coach."

"Do you want me to guard number eight?" asked Earth, one of the team members. He's the biggest guy and the center of the team. We heard them talking because we were sitting right behind the players.

"It's okay. They probably want to keep their championship title, so they're playing both the players and the game. We had someone recording everything. If there's any problem or if it gets worse, we have evidence to handle it. But don't get emotional. Stay calm and play as we practiced. Just do your best."

"Yes, coach!"

"Good. Whether we win or lose today doesn't matter.  I know we've done our best. Remember, we're not playing alone. Basketball is a team sport. We need to stick together to succeed. Got it? Alright, I will go talk to the referees. Let's discuss among yourselves."

"Yes, coach."

After the coach's talk, they seemed more relaxed and focused. Even though Nong Pise is quite a hothead, he might not be able to control his emotions as well as his seniors.

I understand that everyone wants to win, but winning unfairly by taking advantage of others isn't something to be proud of. I believe Phum and the others are true athletes and men enough to play the game without responding emotionally, just as the coach said.

"Pise, don't wait for the rebound. You'll get targeted."

"Yes, P'Phum."

"Ton, help keep number eight away from Kluen. Who's guarding you?"

"The bald guy playing forward."

"Okay, I'll handle him. Any suggestions?"

"Earth, don't dribble too long. You'll get hurt. Pass quickly if you can." Kluen advised.

Earth nodded in understanding. They took a break to wipe their faces and drink water while the drums and cheers continued without rest.

Kluen came over to me and greeted my friends. They teased him with whistles. Q led, followed by Tan, and Matt finished.

"Hey, you got hit hard, can you handle it? Fang asked.

"I'm okay, but if it gets worse, I don't know... Did you come to watch?" Kluen replied to Fang and then looked at me.

"Damn Kluen. I've been here for a while. You even smiled at me." I said.

"Hehe."

"Hey, Kluen, why don't you fight back?" Q suggested. It's really great. Kluen just smiled.

"Yeah, we'll help." even Khun Chai Beer wanted to handle it. Think about it.

Huh? Did you stop drumming, Beer? I turned to see who was drumming instead. Oh no, Pan, where did you get that khene? Since when can you play it, Pan?

"If I can't take it anymore, I'll do what you guys said. I'm going back to the game. Peem, hold my shirt."

"Okay."

I wasn't playing, but I got  two warm-up shirts. Hehe. When Kluen threw his shirt to me, my friends cheered loudly, like they were being stepped on. Phum frowned at me before turning to talk to the team. Then the coach called Kluen, and as soon as Kluen left, Phum came over.

"Wow, the staircase is never dry, my friend." Chan teased.

["หัวกระไดไม่แห้ง" is a Thai idiom meaning "the staircase is never dry" It refers to a place that always has visitors, often used to describe a house with a beautiful daughter or a house of someone influential or powerful. The origin of the idiom comes from traditional Thai houses, which were built on stilts. Visitors would wash their feet at the foot of the stairs before entering the house. If there were frequent visitors, the area at the bottom of the stairs would remain wet.
T/n: Look at our beautiful daughter - Nong Peem. Should we charge the guests per minute?]

The girls from other schools in the stands kept screaming for Phum, "Phi Number Ten!".

"Holly shit! They're so fucking annoying! " Gigi said.

"Yeah, those annoying, ugly little girls."

"Oh, beauty queen. In the Miss Ugly pageant you win first prize." Q teased Gigi and Green and probably went to help drum because he couldn't stand Pan's terrible playing anymore.

"Tired, captain?" Chan teased.

"Very. They're running so fast. Peem, give me some water."

"Why don't you drink what your juniors prepared?"

"I want your water. Got a problem with that?"

"What water? I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

Fuck you Tan. You've got a dirty mind. And you, handsome, you didn't speak clearly. Damn it.

[T/n: Have their dirty minds ever taken a break?]

"Yeah, Toey's thinking too. Are you thinking, Matt?"
Matt, who didn't care about the world, kept playing games on the iPad, ignoring Toey. He just kicked Toey away with his foot instead of answering."

In the final quarter, the game got even rougher. We saw Kluen get elbowed by number eight, bending over in pain and needing to be substituted out before coming back in. The boos from our side didn't get us any fouls, despite the elbows and shoulder bumps. Phum kept running to guard number eight, trying to push him away from Kluen, but it didn't help much. The ones aiming to hurt always have the advantage.

"Damn, what do you want? What do you want?" Kluen pushed that guy's chest when he reached his limit.

Even someone as calm as Kluen couldn't take it anymore. Everyone, both the cheerleaders and the audience, were shocked. Players from both teams rushed in to stop or join the fight. The referees ran in to separate them, and Phum somehow got to Kluen first.

Phum pulled Kluen, who seemed to have lost it, with Pise and Ton helping. We had to hold Tan back because he wanted to jump in too. Oh, the old gangster blood is boiling.

After a while, the referees cleared things up, and everyone went back to their positions. Only Phum stood next to Kluen, staring at that guy. For God's sake, if you're going to cheat this much, just steal the trophy. The coach called Kluen a few times before he walked away, but Phum walked closer to number eight until they were just a step apart.

Phum stared without blinking. The whole gym went silent. Even the coach and referees didn't dare to intervene. I was nervous because we all know how Phum can be. If he lost it now, that guy wouldn't stand a chance.

Kluen must have sensed the danger and walked back to pull Phum away, but he stopped just before reaching him. Phum's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and echoed throughout the gym.

"If you hurt my "friend" one more time, I'll make you crawl to kiss his feet. Remember that."

How do I feel right now? I can't describe it. I just know I'm glad to love a man like Phum.

And finally, they won. Woohoo! Amazing.

But the victory meant more than just winning. It was about pride, friendship, not just among the players but everyone involved. Every cheer, every shout came from the heart. The basketball players jumped and hugged each other before Phum ordered everyone to cheer for the university. We stood up and hugged each other, cheering loudly.

I saw Phum and Kluen hug each other before hugging the team. It might have looked a bit stiff, but this moment will be a cherished memory for me.
Phum walked over to the stands, and I smiled at him.

"You're so cool."

"Just following the script." He smiled back,

"Script? What script?"

"I'm the hero of the story."

Damn.
...
..
.

The game ended, but the excitement didn't. We went to celebrate at a Mu kratha shop, practically closing the place down. Everyone brought their partners and friends. The younger players and friends from the basketball team asked Kluen and Phum to sing. Kluen sang one song after another. He invited me to join him on stage but I was about to go, Phum didn't let me go.

Phum grabbed the mic to sing "There can't be two people as number one" (ไม่มีเบอร์หนึ่งถึงสองคน). The crowd cheered like it was a boxing match, led by Q and supported by Tan, who even brought drinks to Kluen on stage.

I don't know if Kluen was drunk, but he continued with "Loving Someone Already Taken" (รักคนมีเจ้าของ) and finished with "Date you with my eyes". Was he planning to sing the entire album? Phum wasn't going to let that slide and responded with "Curse Those Who Steal Other's Lover" (สาปแช่งพวกแย่งแฟน). It was wild. Haha. I felt like I needed some inhalers, lozenges, and balm.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Date You WithMy Eyes (ชู้ทางตา) by I..Nam
Just talk to your friends if you want to,
Play your phone  if you want to, dance if you want to.
I'm not bothering you at all.
I'm standing far away and can still see you,
Plus there are hundreds of other people around.
Why do you have to be so paranoid?

Why are you so cute?
Why are you so lively?
How can I not like you? I can't help it.
You stand out like an angel,
Your light shines directly at me.

(*) Do you have a boyfriend?
I don't care. It's none of my business.
No problem, I just date you with my eyes. It's not illegal.

(**) I can't help but look because I like what I see.
Staring for a long time is normal.
Can you be my eye crush?
I don't intend to bother or invite you to do anything.
I just love you with my eyes.

If you're shy, just say it.
If you're a little embarrassed, just say it.
If you have a secret crush, just say it.
You can't hide it.
Even if you try to hide your feelings, I can still tell.
You can't hide your angelic aura.
Your light shines directly at me.

(*), (**)

Honestly, I felt a bit embarrassed. They kept singing and looking at me. Those who didn't know probably found out today. Tomorrow, I'll be famous all over the university under the headline: 'Former Engineering and Architecture Stars Duel in Singing to Woo an Art Guy.'

Should I be happy about this?

I'm really exhausted by them.
T_T

End of Chapter 56 >>>>>>>>>>