North walked back to his dorm room, his steps slow and heavy with frustration. He had planned to go to work, but Johan's stern insistence had derailed his plans. Even after trying to negotiate and reason with him, Johan's simple yet final threat—regarding money—left North with no choice.
"Fine," North muttered under his breath as he ascended the stairs to his floor. "If he says I can't go, I won't go."
But confusion churned in his mind. Why didn't Johan want him to work? Was this some sort of power play? If he didn't work, how was he supposed to pay off his debts? It would be better for everyone if he could settle them quickly. Shaking his head, North entered his room and let out a deep sigh, dropping his bag onto the chair.
To distract himself, North turned on his computer and began aimlessly scrolling through Facebook. As he scrolled, a familiar photo caught his eye. It was a post from a popular university page, featuring none other than Johan.
Cute Boy & Girl - MU had posted a candid shot of Johan getting into his sleek Audi. The accompanying caption gushed about Johan's elegance and the luxury of his car, throwing in a flurry of hashtags about his wealth and mysterious charm.
North couldn't help but chuckle as he read through the comments. They ranged from admiration to outright envy, with several people questioning what Johan had been doing at the engineering faculty earlier that day. Some speculated he'd been there to pick someone up. One user even hinted at knowing the person's identity.
North frowned slightly, his thoughts spinning. Could they know about me? No, it's unlikely.
The thread took an unexpected turn when Johan's close friends joined the discussion. Hill and Tonfah exchanged playful banter with Johan in the comments, dropping hints that they were all well-acquainted. North's eyes widened as he realized their comments indirectly confirmed Johan's visit to the faculty earlier.
"Why does everything feel so... connected?" North muttered, leaning back in his chair. His thoughts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of Easter who walked in with a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"Your smile looks suspicious," North said, narrowing his eyes.
"What?" Easter replied, feigning innocence as he set down his bag. He plopped onto the bed, his grin unfaltering.
"You didn't tell P'Johan to come pick me up, did you?" North's tone was sharp with accusation.
"Are you crazy?" Easter shook his head rapidly, though his expression betrayed him. "But, honestly, when I heard P'Johan was picking you up, I thought... oh, my ship is sailing!"
North groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "You're ridiculous."
After a moment's pause, North told Easter everything that had happened earlier—Johan's abrupt insistence that he stop working, the cryptic comments about money, and his own unanswered questions. Easter listened intently, occasionally nodding or smirking.
"So, P'Johan doesn't want you working, huh? Maybe he's worried about you," Easter suggested, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, you've been working so hard. Maybe he thinks you'll overdo it, or he's afraid you'll run into trouble."
"Worried about me?" North shook his head in disbelief. "That's absurd."
"Is it, though?" Easter teased, leaning closer. "Think about it—he came all the way to pick you up, didn't he? And he's clearly keeping an eye on you."
"Or maybe he just likes control," North countered, though his voice lacked conviction.
Easter chuckled but quickly changed the subject. "Oh, by the way, P'Than messaged me. He said you've been acting weird and not replying to his chats."
North froze. He had completely forgotten about the messages from Than.
Quickly pulling out his phone, he scrolled to their chat history. His stomach dropped when he saw his last message to Than: Don't be nosy.
"What the..." North muttered, realization dawning on him.
"Something wrong?" Easter asked, peeking over his shoulder.
"P'Johan," North said quietly, his tone tinged with frustration and confusion.
"He must have replied to P'Than using my phone."
Easter's grin widened. "See? I told you he's watching out for you. Maybe he's jealous."
North sighed, slumping back in his chair. "This makes no sense."
"Sure it does!" Easter replied with a laugh. "It's classic P'Johan. He's protective—and maybe a little possessive. You'd better get used to it."
North glanced at his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen as he debated what to reply to Than. The earlier exchange still left him unsettled.
[NORTH]: I'm here.
[THAN]: Are you really North?
[NORTH]: Yes.
[THAN]: And what's the message on top of that?
[NORTH]: Oh... I sent the wrong chat. Sorry, Phi.
After a moment's hesitation, North decided to lie. He claimed the earlier message was a mistake, deliberately avoiding any mention of Johan's name. He didn't want to invite more questions or create unnecessary drama.
[THAN]: Oh, okay. Where are you?
[NORTH]: I'm in my room.
[THAN]: Then I'll pick you up and take you to work.
[NORTH]: I probably won't go to work anymore. I'll call and apologize to P'Chen.
[THAN]: Oh, why? Is something wrong?
[NORTH]: No.
North locked his phone and sighed, staring blankly at the wall. Easter, who had been pretending not to eavesdrop, suddenly piped up.
"What did P'Than say?" Easter asked, leaning closer to sneak a peek at the phone.
North groaned, tossing the phone onto his bed. "Why are you so nosy?"
"I'm not nosy! You just look like a kicked puppy," Easter teased, but his voice softened when he added, "Seriously, what's up? You look miserable."
"I'm bored. I want to work," North admitted, frowning deeply.
He thought back to the last conversation with Chen, the shop owner. The man had practically begged him to come in, citing a dire shortage of staff. North needed the money, especially with his growing debts. Even though Johan had insisted he not go, North couldn't shake the sense of responsibility tugging at him.
After a long pause, North looked at Easter. "Ter..."
"What now?" Easter asked warily.
"Ter..."
"Don't even think about it!" Easter protested, already shaking his head. "I'm not covering for you."
"I'm not asking you to cover for me. Just don't tell anyone I'm going to work," North pleaded, his tone firm.
Easter studied him with a skeptical expression. "Are you serious? P'Johan's gonna lose his mind if he finds out."
"He doesn't need to know," North countered, grabbing his bag and tossing a few essentials inside. "It's not like I'm sneaking off to do anything dangerous. It's just work, and I can take care of myself."
"Is P'Than still picking you up?" Easter asked.
"No," North replied, zipping his bag shut. "I'll go alone. I feel bad for making him wait until I get off work."
Easter sighed, knowing there was no point arguing. "Fine. Just... be careful, okay? And text me when you get there."
North nodded and waved over his shoulder as he left.
The bar was nothing like North had expected. While it technically qualified as one, it was more of an outdoor lounge, strung with warm, glowing lights that stretched between trees. A small band played soft, jazzy tunes in one corner, and clusters of patrons sat at wooden tables, chatting and sipping drinks.
"North, right?" a voice called out.
North turned to see a slightly chubby man approaching with a welcoming smile. This had to be Chen, the shop owner.
"Yes, Phi," North replied with a polite nod.
Chen clapped a hand on North's shoulder. "Take it easy, kid. You don't have much to do—just serving and clearing tables. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Great. If you have any questions, find me or head to the cashier." With that, Chen shuffled off to handle a group of arriving customers.
As North walked toward the cashier, he spotted a young woman scrolling on her phone. She looked up and smiled when their eyes met.
"Oh, are you new?" she asked, setting her phone down.
North returned the smile and raised a hand in greeting. "Yeah, I just started."
"That's great! Welcome. I'm Pan."
"Thanks, Pan. Looks like the place is busy tonight," North observed, glancing around.
"It's always like this," Pan said with a sigh. "We're short-staffed because the pay's... well, let's just say it's not great. Most of the old staff quit."
North raised an eyebrow. "Is it that bad?"
Pan leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Let's just say P'Chen isn't the best at managing money. I hope he's not spending it on something stupid." She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. "Oops! Don't repeat that!"
North chuckled at her panicked expression. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me."
For the first time that day, North felt a little lighter. Whatever awaited him after this shift, he was ready to face it.
˚☆˖°⋆｡° ✮˖ ⊹⋆.˚
By 10:04 P.M., the bar was still bustling with activity. North slumped into a chair near the counter, exhaustion weighing on him after hours of rushing between tables. Pan, the friendly waitress who'd been guiding him through his first day, sat down beside him.
"Are you tired? There's been a lot of guests tonight," she asked, handing him a glass of water. Her tone was light, but her eyes held concern.
North took a sip and shook his head slightly. "It's busy, but I'll manage."
"It's your first day, and the work here is no joke," she continued. "But what do you think? Oh, and aren't you too tired to study while working part-time like this?"
North gave a faint smile. "No, I'm used to it."
"What do you study?" she asked, curiosity sparking in her voice.
"I'm majoring in engineering," North replied, leaning back in his chair.
"Engineering?" Pan's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "That's impressive."
North smirked at her reaction. "Really? You don't think I look like an engineering student?"
"Well... now that you mention it, maybe not. But hey, who says engineering students have to look a certain way?"
"Exactly," North replied with a chuckle. "Although, for the record, being an engineering student doesn't automatically make girls like you."
"Wait, really?" she teased, her tone playful. "You don't have a girlfriend yet?"
"Nope. Not a single one."
"Ah, so you're just picky," she said with a knowing grin.
North laughed softly. "Actually, I'm not. If anything, I think I'll just stay single."
Before Pan could respond, North's phone buzzed loudly on the counter, the notification sound startling both of them. He winced, quickly grabbing the device. He always kept the volume turned up to avoid missing any messages—a habit born out of necessity, not preference.
As he unlocked the screen, he silently prayed it wasn't from the person he dreaded most. His heart sank when he saw the name.
[JOHAN]: Where are you?
North's stomach tightened. Johan had a habit of sending him curt messages like this, and they almost always came with expectations that ignored North's schedule or feelings. He recalled a recent day when Johan asked where he was. After replying that he was at college, Johan had demanded he buy coffee—without even checking if North was free.
This time, lying was his only option.
[NORTH]: Outside.
[JOHAN]: ?
[NORTH]: Out with a friend.
A beat later, Johan replied, his messages coming in rapid succession.
[JOHAN]: Ten o'clock at night?
[JOHAN]: Where are you?
[JOHAN]: Why don't you answer me?
[JOHAN]: Where are you?
North stared at the screen, his jaw tightening with dread.
Before he could type a response, the sharp voice of another waiter snapped him back to reality.
"Take this to table six. And don't forget the plate for table eight; they've been waiting," the man barked.
North shoved his phone into his bag and jumped to his feet, his break abruptly cut short. The tension from Johan's messages lingered, gnawing at him as he moved between tables.
The bar's lively atmosphere didn't help. The clinking of glasses, the murmur of conversations, and the occasional bursts of laughter created a cacophony that made it impossible to hear himself think. When his phone buzzed again, the sharp vibration was barely audible over the noise.
North glanced at his bag, tempted to check the screen. Instead, he pressed his lips into a thin line and turned off the sound completely. Johan would have to wait. Right now, North had tables to serve and customers to please. The night wore on, but the weight of those unanswered messages remained, hanging over him like a storm cloud.
˚☆˖°⋆｡° ✮˖ ⊹⋆.˚
It was 12:22 A.M. when North finally dragged himself back to his dorm room. The exhaustion from the long shift weighed on him, though it wasn't unbearable. He dropped his bag by the door and flopped onto his bed. The thought crossed his mind: if he had to do this every day, he'd barely have the energy to wake up and make it to campus. Thankfully, it was only for a few days.
"You're back late," Easter commented from the other side of the room, his tone more accusatory than concerned.
"The bar closed at midnight," North replied with a sigh, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"When I got on the bike to ride home, I felt like someone was following me. It was creepy." He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. "I couldn't shake the feeling. Just imagine if someone really was."
"Ugh, don't say stuff like that," Easter groaned, giving him a half-hearted glare.
"I'm serious," North muttered, suppressing a shudder.
Easter's attention shifted to his phone, and after a moment, he held it out to
North. "Oh, look, P'Johan's at a bar."
North propped himself up on one elbow and squinted at the screen. The photo showed Johan sitting at a table, chin resting on his hands, his expression one of mild annoyance. Next to him sat Hill, engrossed in his phone. The setting was an outdoor bar, the kind North didn't recognize.
"Where is this?" North asked.
"No idea, but it's definitely not where you work," Easter replied. "If P'Johan ever found out you were working at a bar, he'd probably shut the place down."
"Good thing he doesn't know," North said, exhaling a breath of relief.
"And P'Hill's with him too?"
"Yeah, they're all there—P'Johan, P'Hill, and even P'Arthit. It looks like P'Johan dragged them out."
"Why do you let him do that? Aren't you afraid someone might flirt with P'Hill?" North teased, though he couldn't help feeling a twinge of curiosity about Easter's response.
Easter smirked. "Nope. I trust him."
North raised an eyebrow at that. If it were him, trust wouldn't come so easily. The world wasn't kind, and people couldn't be trusted—at least, that's how he saw it.
"You're braver than me," North said quietly.
Easter shrugged. "Sometimes you just have to let people have their space. You, on the other hand, should keep an eye on P'Johan. What if he's out with some girl?"
North groaned, dropping his head back onto the bed. "Why would I care if he's out with a girl?"
Easter rolled his eyes. "Please. You're not fooling anyone."
Before North could argue, his phone buzzed. His stomach tightened when he saw the name on the screen—Johan.
[JOHAN]: I'm in front of the dormitory.
[JOHAN]: Get down.
[JOHAN]: Didn't I tell you not to go anywhere?
North stared at the messages, his heart pounding. Why was Johan here?