North groaned softly as his eyes fluttered open, the pounding in his head
unlike anything he'd experienced before. Every muscle in his body ached,
and a dull throb at the corner of his mouth reminded him of the events he
could barely piece together. His vision was blurry, the white ceiling above
him seeming almost surreal.
"North," a voice called out, familiar but heavy with disapproval.
North turned his head toward the voice, wincing as a sharp pain shot
through his neck. "Ter?" he croaked, his voice rough and dry.
The man seated beside him sighed, looking equal parts exasperated and
relieved. "You're awake. Good. But don't even think about getting up yet."
North gritted his teeth and tried to shift slightly. "I'm not getting up. I'm
just...moving. Damn, everything hurts."
"That's what happens when you act like an idiot," Easter snapped, his brows
knitting together. He grabbed a damp towel from a nearby basin and dabbed
it across North's forehead with more force than was necessary.
North flinched. "Ow, take it easy, will you?"
"I should press harder," Easter shot back, his frustration evident. "You're
lucky I don't strangle you for the stunt you pulled."
"What...what happened?" North asked, squinting as he tried to recall the
previous night. Flashes of drunken laughter, shouting, and a fight surfaced
briefly before his mind drew a blank. "I remember...Temp. And
then...nothing."
"Nothing?" Easter scoffed. "Let me fill in the blanks for you. You got
drunk, picked a fight with Temp, and managed to get yourself and two of your friends beat up. Kyu called me at 11 P.M, saying he couldn't handle
dragging your unconscious body back alone."
North groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Oh, great. How did I even
get back here?"
Easter paused, a hint of amusement creeping into his stern expression. "You
didn't call me, that's for sure. You were too busy being unconscious."
"So...who did?" North asked hesitantly.
Easter gestured toward the other side of the room, where a man sat quietly
on the couch, observing the scene with a faint smirk. "Say hello to P'Hill.
He's the reason you didn't end up passed out in the street."
North turned his head slowly, his bruised body protesting every movement.
"P'Hill?" he rasped, blinking at the composed figure. "You picked me up?"
Hill shook his head, his calm demeanor unchanging. "Not me. Johan."
North's confusion deepened. "P'Johan? Why would he...?"
"Because he happened to be close by," Easter interrupted. "And because I
begged him to go get you. Not that you deserved it," he added with a
pointed glare.
North groaned again, sinking back into the bed. "I can't believe I caused this
much trouble. Wait—what about my phone? Do I still have it?"
Easter retrieved North's phone from the nightstand and handed it to him.
The cracked screen and shattered casing made North's heart sink. "What the
hell happened to it?" he exclaimed, trying to power it on without success.
"P'Johan threw it against the wall," Easter said bluntly, crossing his arms.
North's jaw dropped. "He what ?"
"He was taking care of you while you were throwing up all over his place,"
Easter explained. "Then someone called, and he got annoyed. Apparently,smashing your phone was his way of venting."
North groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it. I don't have the
money to fix this."
"Don't worry about it," Easter said with a shrug. "P'Hill said P'Johan had
covered it already."
North glanced at Hill, who merely nodded, his expression unreadable.
"Why would P'Johan...?" North began but trailed off, unsure of how to
phrase the mix of gratitude and embarrassment swirling in his chest.
"You've got enough to deal with, North. Just try to keep out of trouble next
time."
"Next time?" Easter interjected sharply. "There will be no next time. You're
done with this nonsense."
North couldn't suppress a small smirk, despite the pain in his jaw. "We'll
see," he murmured, earning a glare from Easter.
As Hill exited the room to take a call, North stared at the cracked phone in
his hands, his thoughts racing. The events of the night before were still a
blur, but one thing was clear: he'd reached a new low. And now, he owed
Johan—and by extension, Hill—a debt he wasn't sure he could repay.
"Where did P'Johan go? Why don't I see him?"
Easter glanced up, his expression unreadable. "He's out running errands this
afternoon. Asked me to keep an eye on you."
"Keep an eye on me? What does that mean?" North's brow furrowed, his
curiosity piqued despite the throbbing in his head.
"He's worried you might 'go crazy,'" Easter replied, an edge of amusement
in his tone.
"What?" North blinked, confused, but Easter didn't elaborate. Instead, he
stepped out of the room and returned moments later holding a list of some sort.
"What's that?" North asked, his unease growing.
Easter handed him the paper without a word. North's eyes scanned the page,
his confusion giving way to shock as he saw the long list of items with
corresponding prices—an astronomical amount.
"What the hell is this?" North's voice rose sharply, the disbelief evident in
his tone.
"That," Easter said, folding his arms, "is the list of damages you caused last
night."
North stared at the page, his pulse quickening. "This can't be right. There's
no way I caused all this!"
Before Easter could respond, the door swung open, and Johan entered the
room. He moved with an air of calm authority, his expression neutral,
almost detached. Without a word, he settled into the sofa, his gaze meeting
North's.
For a moment, the room felt tense, the silence thick enough to choke on.
North shifted uncomfortably under Johan's steady gaze, glancing at Easter
for support, but his friend only shrugged.
Finally, North cleared his throat. "Um... I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice
barely audible.
Johan raised a brow, clearly unimpressed.
"I mean... I'm sorry for last night," North continued, struggling to maintain
eye contact. "And thank you for helping me. I didn't mean to—"
"Throw up everywhere?" Johan cut in, his tone razor-sharp.
North's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Yes. That."
Johan leaned back, his eyes narrowing slightly. "No problem. Just pay."
"Pay?" North echoed, his voice laced with panic.
Easter pointed at the list in North's hand. "The damages. You're responsible
for replacing everything."
North's jaw dropped as he scanned the list again. "This... this is insane!
Several hundred thousand baht? How could I possibly owe this much?"
Easter didn't flinch. "You broke an expensive vase, shattered some wine
bottles, and damaged a lot of other things. Plus, someone had to clean up
after you."
North groaned, burying his face in his hands. "How did it get this bad?"
Johan, still seated, answered coolly, "You decided to grab a bottle from
someone else's table and smash it over their head. That alone cost a
fortune."
North froze. "I... did what?"
"You heard me," Johan said. "You were out of control. Someone had to
cover the damages before the police got involved."
"And you paid for it?" North asked, incredulous.
"Yes," Johan replied, his tone clipped. "But don't think for a second you're
off the hook. You'll pay me back. Every baht."
North let out a strangled laugh, the absurdity of the situation almost too
much to bear. "With what money? I'm a student! I can't afford this."
"That's not my problem," Johan said. He reached into a bag and tossed it
onto North's lap. "Here. Your phone."
North opened the bag to find a brand-new phone, still wrapped in its
packaging. "What's this?"
"Your old one was smashed," Johan explained. "I bought you a new one."
North's initial relief turned into frustration. "I could've just repaired the old
one! This... this is way too expensive."
Johan shrugged, unfazed. "It's just a phone."
"Just a phone?" North muttered under his breath, shaking his head.
"If you're worried about paying it off," Johan added, "we can arrange an
installment plan. With interest."
"Interest?" North's voice cracked. "How much?"
"Twenty percent," Johan said, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
North nearly fell off the bed. "That's outrageous! Are you a loan shark?"
Johan's smirk widened. "Think it over. I'll be expecting an answer soon."
With that, he stood and left the room, leaving North to stew in his misery.
Easter chuckled next to him. "You're really in deep this time, aren't you?"
North sighed, slumping back against the pillows. "This is the worst
hangover of my life... and I haven't even started dealing with the debt yet."
Hill glanced at North as he stood by the door. "He's busy with work. Do you
want to head back?"
"Yes!" North replied immediately, nodding with such eagerness that it made
Hill chuckle.
"Alright, let's not waste any time."
As they headed out, Hill added with a teasing grin, "Better get back quickly
before you rack up any more debt."
North groaned at the reminder. "Haha, can't you at least try to cheer me up?
This face of mine might turn permanently sad."
"Maybe it should," Hill teased. "Unless you want to wake up hundreds of
thousands in debt again."
North shot him a sharp look, lips pursed in irritation. The three of them
moved in unison as they exited the room, and North groaned softly. The
lingering effects of alcohol were still present, a dull weight in his body, but
it wasn't nearly as bad as the aches spreading across his bruised skin.
"Can you still stand?" Easter asked, studying him closely with mild
concern. His eyes traced the cuts on North's lips and the faint bruises
shadowing his eyebrows.
"I'm fine," North said with a faint smirk, though his stiff movements told a
different story. "Calm down, buddy."
Easter raised an eyebrow but let it go.
"Whose clothes are these?" North asked suddenly, glancing down at the
unfamiliar but clearly expensive shirt and pants he was now wearing. The
thought of his old clothes made him pause, his mind flashing to the chaos of
the previous night.
"Oh, these? Probably P'Johan's," Easter replied. "You can always ask later."
North squinted skeptically. "P'Johan let me wear his clothes? They're
expensive. Maybe they're the butler's?"
Easter snorted. "You've got a gift for sarcasm."
"I've got no choice but to make jokes; otherwise, I'll lose my mind over this
debt!" North grumbled.
The trio made their way through the mansion's sprawling halls, the grandeur
of the place striking North anew with each step. The polished floors,
intricate carvings, and towering ceilings made it impossible for him to
focus. The sheer size of the place felt like a labyrinth, and North silently
vowed not to wander too far in case he got lost again.
The staff they passed—housekeepers, butlers, and assistants—watched
North with wide, cautious eyes. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment,
and he instinctively ducked behind Easter, mumbling apologies under his
breath. The weight of shame settled heavier on his shoulders with every
step.
Once they reached the dormitory, North collapsed onto his bed with an
audible sigh. Exhaustion seeped into his bones as the events of the past day
loomed over him like an unrelenting storm.
"Add P'Johan on Line," Easter said casually, breaking the silence.
North frowned, rolling onto his side. "Why?"
"He's your creditor now. You'll need to keep in touch."
North groaned loudly, grabbing the brand-new phone that felt more like a
weight of guilt than a gift. He fiddled with it, muttering, "I've never used
anything this fancy before. It feels like it belongs to someone else."
Easter shook his head in mock disappointment. "Honestly, you're taking this
better than I expected. I thought you'd be crying and panicking by now."
North sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Oh, I'm panicking. Trust me.
But there's no point crying over it now. What's done is done. Still... I can't
believe this happened."
Easter leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Neither could I when I
saw the aftermath in P'Johan's living room. Looked like a scene out of a
disaster movie."
North sat up, his brow furrowed. "It was that bad?"
"Worse," Easter confirmed. "You were Godzilla, stomping through
everything."
North winced. "I've been drunk before, but never like that."
"You weren't just drunk; you were on fire. Overheating, like when you rage
in a game."
"That's... different." North groaned again, burying his face in his hands.
"What am I supposed to do? I don't have that kind of money. Even if I
work, it'll take me forever to pay it back."
Easter chuckled softly. "Well, better start now. A thousand a week?"
"Yeah, and I'll be free of this debt just in time for my retirement," North
muttered sarcastically.
"Don't forget the interest," Easter added with a smirk.
"Don't even start with me."
The conversation lulled, and North's gaze fell to the sleek phone in his
hands. He thumbed the edge of it thoughtfully. "Maybe I should sell this.
It's worth something, right?"
"North!" Easter exclaimed, horrified. "Don't even think about it. That's
P'Johan's phone."
North laughed nervously. "I was just joking!"
As the tension eased slightly, North's mind wandered back to the reason
behind Johan's involvement. "Hey, Ter. Why do you think P'Hill called
P'Johan to handle me? Was there really no one else?"
Easter shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but maybe it's because he thought
P'Johan could handle you best. You caused a scene, North. It wasn't just
about calming you down—there were legal fees, medical expenses, hush
money. P'Johan took care of all of it."
North fell silent, the weight of his actions sinking deeper. After a moment,
he whispered, "I'm done with drinking. No more alcohol. Ever."
Easter tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Feeling sorry yet?"
North let out a heavy sigh and raised a hand to rub the back of his neck.
"Really. I won't drink alcohol anymore. Not a drop."
Easter chuckled softly, but there was a note of approval in his tone. "Good.
Stick to that promise."
North reached out and ruffled Easter's hair lightly, a small, tired smile
breaking through his otherwise guilty expression. Easter swatted his hand
away with a laugh.
"Anyway," Easter said, his voice softening. "You should check in with Nao
and the others. They must be worried sick."
The suggestion hit North like a slap to the face. Of course—they would be
worried. He fumbled for the sleek new phone in his pocket, its unfamiliar
weight reminding him of yet another debt to Johan. With some effort, he
managed to log in to his old Line account.
The moment he did, a flood of notifications erupted on the screen. Dozens
—no, hundreds—of messages from his friends scrolled past, making his
chest tighten. But one stood out.
[JA JAN] — (NEW NOTIFICATIONS: 120 MESSAGES)
North hesitated, his finger hovering over the notification. His stomach
churned as he pressed it, opening the chat thread. The sheer volume of
messages was overwhelming, and they piled up faster than he could read. Ja
Jan's name had been a thorn in his side since the breakup, and now the
thread was bursting with words he hadn't asked for.
The name pulled at something deep inside him. Wasn't this the same contact
that had shown up before Johan lost his temper? Easter had mentioned it,
hadn't he? That Ja Jan's messages were what drove Johan to smash his
phone against the wall and then—oddly—replace it with this brand-new
one.
Why?
North's brow furrowed as his thoughts spiraled. What had made Johan so
furious about those messages? And, more importantly, what was Ja Jan even
trying to say in the first place?
He swallowed hard, the questions heavy in his mind. They'd broken up.
That chapter was over. So why—why were there over a hundred unread
messages waiting for him now?
The unanswered questions felt like a weight on his chest, suffocating and
relentless. North sighed and leaned back against the wall, his grip tightening
on the phone. Whatever the answers were, he wasn't sure he was ready to
face them.