North pushed open the shop door, his weary expression doing little to mask his frustration. The smell of coffee hit him like a wave, making his stomach churn. He had been drowning in the aroma all day, thanks to Johan's relentless insistence that he brew coffee over and over again until he "got it right."
"Are you delivering coffee to Chiang Rai?" Easter quipped from behind the counter, not missing a beat as he practiced his latte art. His cheerful tone was in stark contrast to North's sour mood.
North scowled and slumped into the chair near the counter. "Don't start with me," he grumbled, running a hand through his hair.
Than stood nearby, observing Easter's efforts with a patient smile. "You were gone too long," he said, turning to North with a teasing glint in his eye. "That's less time worked. Should I dock your pay?"
North gasped, clutching his chest in mock horror. "Oh my God, don't do this to me!" he pleaded, putting on his most exaggerated puppy-dog face. The thought of losing his job was terrifying—how else would he pay back Johan? But skipping work for Johan's coffee boot camp had clearly not gone unnoticed.
Than chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm just kidding, North. Relax."
"You should make coffee with us," Easter chimed in, his face lit up with excitement. "It's fun!"
North groaned, his head already spinning at the suggestion. "No, thanks. I've had enough coffee for a lifetime."
"Suit yourself," Easter said, shrugging as he focused on pouring milk into a steaming cup.
Out of the blue, Than handed North a small piece of paper. "Oh, I almost forgot. I talked to my brother, and he said you could work at his bar if you're interested. Here's his number."
North blinked, caught off guard by the kindness. "Really? Thank you! Why are you so nice to me?" he asked, taking the paper with genuine gratitude.
Than smiled warmly. "If you decide to go, let me know. I'll drive you there."
"Oh, you don't have to—"
"I insist," Than cut him off gently. "You don't even know the way yet."
Easter piped up, shaking his head. "Don't look at me—I'm not going. P'Hill would never let me work at a bar. I'm stuck here."
"And North, will you be okay on your own?" Than asked, concern flickering across his face. "The bar closes pretty late."
North hesitated, sensing the genuine worry in Than's voice. "I'll be fine," he said, though his tone lacked conviction. "But if I need help, I'll let you know."
Than smiled again and ruffled North's hair. "Good. Let me know if anything changes."
North stiffened, his face flushing. Why did he always do that? I'm not a dog, he thought, pouting as Easter watched the exchange with a knowing grin. Before North could say anything, his phone buzzed with a message. Please don't be Johan, he thought. I can't handle more coffee orders. To his relief— and mild confusion—it wasn't Johan. It was Hill, someone he rarely spoke to.
[HILL]: Don't play like that again.
"What the hell does this mean?" North muttered, showing the message to Easter.
Ester squinted at the screen before bursting into laughter. "Lol, North, someone's going to kill him because of you."
"What?" North asked, completely lost.
"Why are you even talking to my boyfriend?" Easter teased, narrowing his eyes in mock accusation. "Are you trying to steal him?"
North rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous! I have no idea why he texted me."
Easter smirked and patted North's head. "This dog just loves causing trouble in other people's relationships."
North groaned. "Stop calling me a dog!"
Their banter continued until Than chimed in with a chuckle. "You two are sweet," he remarked, watching them with an amused expression.
"Sweet?" Easter repeated, feigning disgust. "If we stayed together too long, we'd kill each other."
North sighed dramatically. "He's lying. I'm a delight."
The conversation devolved into playful bickering, and by the time their shift ended, North felt lighter despite the chaotic day. As he and Easter headed out to the parking lot, Easter climbed onto the back of North's motorcycle and called his name.
"What now?" North asked, turning to look at him.
"Why does P'Than always rub your head?" Easter asked, his tone half-teasing, half-curious.
North groaned loudly. "What is with you and this topic?"
"I'm just saying," Easter continued, grinning mischievously.
"Oh, shut up!" North retorted, starting the engine and speeding off toward their dorm.
Even as Easter continued to tease him, North couldn't shake the strange feeling in his chest. He wasn't sure if it was annoyance, embarrassment, or something else entirely. But one thing was certain—his life had become far more complicated than he ever anticipated.
North sighed as he unlocked the door to the dormitory. The ride home had been filled with Easter's endless chatter, his voice bouncing between teasing and pointed curiosity. It was the kind of talk that left North wondering if Easter was just trying to rile him up or if he genuinely believed the nonsense he was spewing.
"So," North said, dropping his bag onto the floor and flopping onto the nearest bed. "What you want to tell me is something to make me angry?"
Easter glanced at him warily. "Why would I want to make you angry?"
"I don't know," North said with an exaggerated shrug.
"..."
"Don't you think it's weird how P'Than always rubs your head? Like, always. And he even offered to pick you up and drive you to work. You know what that means."
North rolled his eyes and started unpacking his things. "No. What does it mean, Ter?"
Easter leaned forward, his grin widening. "It means he likes you."
"Hey!" North snapped, tossing a pillow in Easter's direction. "Don't be ridiculous. He's just being nice."
Easter caught the pillow mid-air and smirked. "Nice? Oh, right. So nice that when you went to see P'Johan, he didn't look happy. And when you said you'd be back later, he looked even less happy. That's not just 'nice,' North."
North turned to face him, crossing his arms. "He's my boss, Ter. If I skip work, of course he'll be annoyed."
Easter waggled a finger at him. "If it were me, maybe I'd be annoyed, but not that annoyed. Admit it—you think I'm somewhat right about this."
North sighed, exasperated. "Doesn't it seem like I'm being overconfident to assume that?"
Easter just shrugged, the smirk never leaving his face.
"But seriously," Easter said, "he says nice things to you all the time. Do you even notice that?"
"I notice," North admitted, his voice dropping. "But... it's not weird, right?"
Easter stared at him like he was the world's biggest idiot. "You notice, but you don't want to admit it. Come on, North."
"It's not that," North said, sitting up and rubbing his temples. "I just don't want to think too far ahead. If I let myself believe he likes me, things will get awkward. We work together, Ter. I don't want to ruin that."
Easter tilted his head, studying him. "So you didn't choose P'Than, huh?"
North narrowed his eyes. "Why are you asking?"
"Wow," Easter said with mock relief, throwing his hands up. "Thank goodness it's just the friend zone."
North groaned. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean," Easter said, grinning mischievously, "my ship hasn't sunk yet. You can still be with P'Johan."
North glared at him. "Damn it, Ter, I'll shoot a tornado into your ship!"
Easter threw his head back, laughing. "Please don't, Captain. I can't swim!"
"You're so annoying," North muttered, shaking his head. "If you knew what your P'Johan put me through, you'd stop saying this nonsense."
Easter perked up, leaning closer. "What exactly happened? What did he do?"
North sighed, giving in to Easter's curiosity. He recounted the entire ordeal—from bringing Johan his coffee, to staying in his room while Johan worked, to dozing off, and finally, to the relentless coffee-making marathon that left him dizzy from the overpowering aroma.
When he finished, Easter sat back with a thoughtful frown.
"I suddenly feel dizzy," Easter said.
North blinked. "Dizzy?"
"Yeah," Easter said, rubbing his temples dramatically. "I think your ship's sailing too fast today."
North groaned, grabbing another pillow. "Ai SAT!"
And with that, their playful bickering resumed, filling the room with laughter and exasperated shouts that echoed long into the night.
⋆˚☆°⋆｡° ✮ ⊹⋆.˚
The semester had begun just a few days ago, and since then, North hadn't exchanged a single word with his creditor. Johan didn't acknowledge him, and frankly, North didn't see why he should initiate contact.
The only connection between them now was Prang, Johan's secretary, who had added North to her Line account. She'd informed him that she would be handling his debt tracking because Johan, in his usual cavalier fashion, couldn't be bothered. Prang often complained about the workload Johan offloaded onto her, lamenting that she had no choice but to comply because her salary and bonuses were at stake.
She's just as stuck as I am, North thought bitterly.
A few days ago, Prang messaged him:
[PRANG]: Johan says you broke something twice. That's 662 baht, right? Your total is now 199,412.50 baht.
[NORTH]: Wait. Twice? I only remember breaking one thing!
[PRANG]: I don't know. I'm just doing my job. Study hard; I heard the second semester just started.
[NORTH]: "Yes, Phi."
North vented about Johan's difficult behavior to his three closest friends. They offered to help but were swiftly shut down. Instead, they teased him about the new phone in his possession.
At first, they assumed North had found it and refused to return it to its owner. But when he admitted that Johan had smashed his old phone and replaced it with a new one, their reactions shifted to mockery.
"Wow, North! You've got yourself a sugar daddy now!" Duen Nao exclaimed, smirking.
"I hate you. Can I punch him?" North muttered to himself.
"Rich, huh? He just throws away phones and buys new ones," Kyu chimed in. "Think he'd break mine too?"
"You're wrong. Nothing's going on between us," North snapped.
His friends only laughed, teasing him until his phone vibrated. Than had messaged him.
[THAN]: It's your first day back at college, right?
[NORTH]: Yes, Phi. How did you know?
[THAN]: I asked Ter. What time do you finish?
[NORTH]: Around four.
[THAN]: "I'll pick you up. Are you studying in the engineering building?"
[NORTH]: "Yes, but your shop opens at 6:30. Don't you need to prepare?"
[THAN]: "We'll grab dinner first. See you then."
After ending the call, Duen Nao was quick to interrogate him.
"Who was that?"
"P'Than. He owns the coffee shop where I work."
"And he's coming to pick you up? Since when do you need rides from him?"
"He insisted."
Duen Nao leaned in, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Is he chasing you, North? Seems like your options are multiplying. First P'Johan, now P'Than. Who'll you choose?"
"Shut up!" North snapped, half-heartedly smacking Duen Nao's head.
In class later that day, Duen Nao interrupted North's focus again, thrusting his phone in front of him.
"Look at this," he whispered.
North glanced at the screen. It was a post from the university fan page, Cute Boy & Girl - MU The admin had shared a picture of Johan with the caption:
Happy second semester! Meet our medical heartthrob, P'Johan. He looks straight out of a Korean drama! His style makes a messy uniform look designer. Admin is swooning!
The comments were even more over-the-top.
I'd faint if Johan looked my way!
I'd buy him if I were rich!
His messy hair is a fashion statement. Love it!
North cringed. "Why does he attract so much attention?"
"Maybe because he's handsome?" Duen Nao teased.
North groaned. "Enough!" He turned back to his notes, trying to refocus.
At 4:00 P.M., North packed his things and stepped outside. Than messaged him.
[THAN]: I'm almost there. Where are you?
[NORTH]: In front of the building.
But before Than could arrive, Johan's car pulled up. A sleek, expensive sports car screeched to a halt in front of the parking lot. North's eyes widened.
"Get in," Johan said, not bothering to greet him.
North hesitated. "Wait—why are you here?"
Johan motioning toward the passenger seat. Feeling cornered, North climbed in.
North glanced nervously at the man in the driver's seat. "Uh... where are we going?" he asked hesitantly, trying to mask his unease.
Johan didn't answer immediately. Instead, his sharp gaze flicked to the rear view mirror as he started the car. "First," he said, voice calm but commanding, "who's coming to pick you up?"
How did P'Johan know that P'Than was going to pick me up?
North hesitated. "A senior. You probably don't know him," he replied truthfully.
Just as the words left his mouth, his phone buzzed loudly in his pocket. He instinctively reached for it, wondering if it was another message from Than.
"Um, yeah, maybe I don't know him," Johan muttered, almost to himself.
Then, with a swift motion, he turned the wheel and accelerated.
The sudden surge of speed caught North off guard. His hands gripped the edge of his seat as his stomach flipped. Oh my God, he thought, does he even know where the brake is? The silence in the car was oppressive, broken only by the hum of the engine and North's silent prayers.
Every sharp turn and rapid acceleration left him more tense, his knuckles white from clutching the seat belt. His mind drifted to Hill, whose smooth, steady driving had always lulled him into a sense of calm. If I fell asleep in Johan's car, he thought grimly, I'd probably fly straight out the window.
Before North could gather his thoughts, the car screeched to a stop in front of a modest restaurant. His legs wobbled as he climbed out, struggling to regain his balance. Johan was already waiting by the entrance, his expression unreadable.
"Do you want to eat?" Johan asked flatly, as if it were a formality.
North nodded, still shaken. "Um, yeah. Sure."
He'd expected a fancy restaurant—something that matched Johan's sophisticated demeanor. Instead, the place was unassuming, almost quaint. North found it oddly comforting, a stark contrast to the whirlwind of the car ride.
"P'Hill usually takes me to the university's cafeteria,"North said, trying to fill the silence. "But it's nice to come to a place like this for a change."
Johan's gaze sharpened. "You spend a lot of time with Hill?"
North blinked at the question. "Yeah, we hang out often. He likes to stop for desserts—mostly for Ter, though."
Johan raised an eyebrow. "Not for you?"
North shrugged. "No, but he's considerate."
Johan leaned back in his chair, his tone turning dry. "Then why is the money on the card running out?"
North froze.
What did he mean by that?
"Let me see your phone," Johan said suddenly, his hand already extended.
"What? Why?" North stammered, clutching the device protectively.
"Phone," Johan repeated, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Reluctantly, North handed it over. To his surprise, Johan unlocked it with ease. His heart sank as he realized Johan had somehow registered his fingerprint. When did he even do that?
"You're going somewhere?" Johan asked, holding up the phone to show him Than's message about picking him up.
"Oh... just a part-time job," North said awkwardly. Johan's expression darkened, making North squirm in his seat.
"And this Than—is he the owner of the coffee shop where you work?"
"Yeah," North admitted quietly. "He's helping me get the job."
Johan's questions didn't stop there. "What's the name of the place?"
"It's called Soul Out."
Johan's lips pressed into a thin line. "I see," he murmured before abruptly standing up. He paid the bill without waiting for change, leaving North scrambling to follow him.
Back in the car, North's unease grew. "Are we going to the store?" he asked tentatively.
"To your room," Johan replied curtly. His tone was final.
⋆˚☆°⋆｡° ✮ ⊹⋆.˚
North's phone buzzed again. It was Than.
[THAN]: Did you go with Johan? Why didn't you tell me? Did he threaten you? Where did you go? [THAN]: North, can you come to the store? I'm worried.
[THAN]: I'll wait for you. I've cleared the table.
[THAN]: I have something to tell you.
[THAN]: North, reply to my message. I'm worried.
Johan typed back quickly, his frustration boiling over.
[NORTH]: Don't be nosy.
Johan glanced at North, his expression unreadable. North couldn't shake the feeling that Johan's silence carried more weight than his words ever could.