Operation Phoenix (3)
[King of Disaster]: I finally found this group.
[King of Disaster]: I have too many LINE groups.
[King of Disaster]: @Jayden, I watched the live broadcast. Amazing! One punch and you knocked him down.
[King of Disaster]: If you're tired, just go home and sleep. Don't fall asleep in the ring, you idiot.
[King of Disaster]: What a great show!
[King of Disaster]: It's freezing huh, @Moonlight Dragon? What did Jayden do after the match?
[King of Disaster]: But Jayden was incredible. The fans were screaming so loudly. He's definitely going to have a lot of fans. He deserves to be my student.
[King of Disaster]: No one wants to talk to me?
[King of Disaster]: I feel lonely.
[King of Disaster]: It's so quiet. 😓
[King of Disaster]: Fine, don't talk to me. I'm heartbroken and I will remember this.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Jay, your phone is vibrating."
"Yeah," I said as I picked up my phone. I saw a message from North. I decided not to reply and focused back on Dan.
"Dan?" I called out in confusion as he looked at me and then quickly turned away, blushing. Why was he embarrassed?
"Why are you blushing?"
"I'm not telling you," Dan replied. That only made me more curious, so I asked North.
[Jayden]: Boss...
[Jayden]: Dan is blushing, but he won't tell me why.
[King of Disaster]: Don't touch me!
[Jayden]: I didn't touch you.
[King of Disaster]: Why is he blushing?
[Moonlight Dragon]: Dan, I met Khun Tee. He couldn't stop staring at me.
[Moonlight Dragon]: But he left when Tiger glared at him.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Maybe he thought I was Dan.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Oh, wrong chat.
[Moonlight Dragon]: (Message deleted)
[King of Disaster]: Too late to delete it, idiot.
[King of Disaster]: Who is Khun Tee?
[Moonlight Dragon]: Why is Dan blushing?
[Jayden]: Who is Khun Tee?
[Jayden]: I don't know. Dan looked at me, turned away, and blushed.
[King of Disaster]: Are you dressed?
[Jayden]: Not yet.
[King of Disaster]: Are you wearing pants?
[Jayden]: Yes.
[King of Disaster]: And underwear?
[Moonlight Dragon]: Why are you asking that? Hahaha.
[King of Disaster]: I'm curious. Do boxers wear underwear in the ring?
[King of Disaster]: Or do they only wear protective gear?
[King of Disaster]: So, who is Khun Tee?
[Moonlight Dragon]: I'm watching the match.
[King of Disaster]: Are you just going to leave the conversation like that?
[King of Disaster]: Jayden, have you asked Dan yet?
[Jayden]: I have.
[Jayden]: I asked him why he was blushing.
[King of Disaster]: Ohh… maybe it's because you took off your shirt.
[Jayden]: Does Dan like it when I take off my shirt?
[King of Disaster]: Ask him yourself.
I looked up from my phone. "Dan, do you like it when I take off my shirt?" Dan immediately turned around, his eyes wide, his face getting even redder.
"What are you talking about with North now?"
"Boss told me to ask because he thinks you're blushing because I took off my shirt. Dan, do you want me to take off my pants too?"
"No, no, no," Dan quickly raised his hands. Then he took a deep breath. "If you keep asking North, you'll end up with weird things. So, for now, we are not talking about taking off clothes, okay?"
"Even if you like it?"
Dan covered his face. "Enough."
"So that means we can talk about it another time?"
"Yes," Dan answered quietly. "Now go take a shower and get changed."
I nodded and went to shower and change, as Dan had told me. I didn't fully understand the situation earlier, but if Dan didn't want to talk about it, I wouldn't force him.
When I returned, I saw Dan talking to the coach. I walked closer.
"Jay," Dan turned to me and smiled, looking happy. "You've received your debut payment. Here," Dan showed me a check with the amount written on it.
"Okay."
"Take it."
"Dan, just keep it."
"No."
"I said if I make money, I'll give it to you."
"No," Dan insisted, shaking his head. He then asked the coach if I could go home.
The coach agreed since my next match was still three days away. Dan took me to the car and drove. On the way, we talked about the match.
"Did Ryan really plan for you to just dodge in the first round and knock your opponent down in the second?"
"Yeah, he said it would impress the audience and grab their attention."
"Well, it worked. I saw on social media that a lot of people are talking about you," Dan said. "You have fans now."
"What's that?"
"People who admire and support you."
"Like you?"
Dan chuckled. "I'm your fan too."
"Just having Dan is enough."
"It's good to have many fans. I want a lot of people to admire your skills."
"Yeah." If Dan said so, then I agreed.
Dan took me to open a bank account to store my money. It took some time, but now I had a savings account, an ATM card, and a mobile app to manage it.
"What's your account number?"
"You're just thinking about giving me money," Dan smiled sweetly. "Just treat me to dinner instead."
"Just one meal? You always treat me."
"For now, just once. When you make more money, you can treat me again. Save your money for now, okay?"
"Yeah," I nodded, understanding what Dan always repeated. I didn't know how much money he had, but Dan taught me how to manage it when we went to a restaurant.
After ordering food, I finally had the chance to ask. "Dan, who is Khun Tee?"
Dan frowned, wondering how I knew. "A new colleague at the office."
"Why did he stare at Boss Nao without looking away, thinking it was you?"
"Did Nao tell you?"
"He said it was a wrong message."
"Oh," Dan nodded slightly. "Khun Tee is a new employee I'm mentoring. I didn't really think much of it, but since you're asking, it seems like he likes me. But don't worry, I've already made things clear."
I frowned at that. "What did you say to him?"
"I told him not to get too close."
"I see." I leaned back in my chair, feeling something burning inside me.
I rested my head on my hand and stared at Dan, who looked uneasy. I couldn't help but find him adorable. Was I mad at Khun Tee? Dan was about to say something else when his phone rang. He saw a message from Nao apologizing for the mistake. Dan replied that it wasn't a big deal. Then he saw a message from Khun Tee.
[Natee]: Team Leader, you said earlier you were with your family.
[Natee]: I thought you meant your parents or siblings.
[Natee]: Are they your husband and daughter? 😭
So he really thought Nao was me. Should I explain or just let him keep thinking that way? Well, for now, I'll just let it be. I put my phone down since it wasn't an important conversation and focused on Jay, who was sulking in front of me.
"Jay"
"..."
"Jay?"
"Yeah?"
I couldn't help but chuckle. Jay really looked upset—he wasn't even looking at me, just staring out the window at the street.
"Are you mad?"
"What is mad?"
"You don't know what being mad feels like, but you are mad?"
"I'm not mad."
He shook his head. "How do you know you're not mad?"
"..." He still frowned.
"Look at me."
Jay turned, his eyes showing dissatisfaction, his lips slightly pouting. "Yeah."
"Do you know what kind of face you're making?"
"No."
"You're really cute." I reached out to pinch his cheek. He froze for a moment, but then looked annoyed again.
"What are you thinking about?"
Jay turned back to stare at the street. "I feel unhappy."
"Why?"
"Because Khun Tee likes you."
"But I already told you I don't."
"Don't know."
"Still unhappy?"
"Yeah."
I smiled at Jay. He said he didn't know what being mad felt like, but he was clearly mad. His frown and pout were obvious, though he didn't realize it himself. Truly adorable.
"What should I do to make you feel better?"
"I don't know."
'I don't know' means I really don't know.
I explained to him again that I had no interest in Khun Tee, that we were just coworkers. Jay was still unhappy, so I had to use my last resort, even though it was a bit embarrassing.
"Why do you care if he likes me? What I care about is that you like me."
"..." Jay quickly turned, shocked. His eyebrows raised, and his lips returned to normal before his face started turning red. "I'm not mad anymore."
"Now you know what being mad feels like."
He nodded. "You like me too."
This time, I was the one who went silent. Luckily, the waiter arrived with our food just in time. Otherwise, I wouldn't have known what to say. In the end, we changed the subject and talked about the food.
"But I still don't like him."
"Khun Tee?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because he likes you."
"Then what should I do?" I asked softly, not sure how to resolve this since the issue was with Khun Tee, not me.
"Can I punch him once?"
"No."
"Alright, I can't. Dan says I shouldn't hurt people first."
"That's right." I nodded and continued eating. Then I saw Jay seemed to remember something. "What is it?"
"He hurt me first."
"What did he do?"
"He made me feel bad."
"Uh, but you still can't punch him."
"Is Dan protecting him?"
"Childish," I said, pinching his cheek again. "I'm protecting you."
"I won't lose."
"Of course not, but getting into fights isn't good. I already told you. Besides, your punch is really strong—you knocked down two people with just one hit. If something happened to Natee, you'd have to take responsibility, and that would be a huge problem," I explained. "I'm telling you this because I care about you. Do you understand?"
Jay looked gloomy. "Yeah, sorry."
"Don't worry." I smiled at him. It was good that Jay came to talk to me instead of North or Nao. After that, we continued eating.
Operation Phoenix (3)
[King of Disaster]: So, who is he? Have you asked yet, @Jayden?
[Jayden]: He's a younger coworker who's interested in Dan.
[King of Disaster]: Wow, that kid!
[King of Disaster]: What a coincidence!
[King of Disaster]: @Moonlight Dragon, help me out here.
[Moonlight Dragon]: How rude.
[King of Disaster]: Yeah, do we need to teach him a lesson?
[King of Disaster]: He's already pulled a tiger's tail.
[Jayden]: Did he do something to Khun Tiger?
[King of Disaster]: No, no. You're the tiger.
[Jayden]: I'm Jayden.
[King of Disaster]: Oh, shit.
[King of Disaster]: Teach that bastard a lesson.
[King of Disaster]: How can you let this slide, Jayden?
[King of Disaster]: If it were me, I wouldn't let it go. I'd kick that bastard's ass.
[King of Disaster]: Let him know not to mess with yam!
[Jayden]: What does "yam" mean?
[Moonlight Dragon]: It's shredded pork wrapped in a skin. It tastes sour.
[Jayden]: It's food?
[King of Disaster]: Yeah, yeah. Don't mess with "yam"!
[King of Disaster]: What the hell is this?
[King of Disaster]: So, are you going to hit him or not?
[Jayden]: Dan won't let me.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Yeah, teach him a lesson.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Oh, sorry, I typed too fast.
[Moonlight Dragon]: North, are you crazy? Violence isn't the answer.
[King of Disaster]: Listen to me.
[King of Disaster]: Violence isn't a good solution, but it's instant.
[King of Disaster]: Are you really going to let this slide? (*คาราคาซัง/Khārā khā sạng/unfinished=let this slide)
[Jayden]: What does "Khara Khasang" mean?
[Moonlight Dragon]: 'San' Probably Japanese, right?
[Moonlight Dragon]: If it's Korean, maybe "Karaka-sii."
[Jayden]: Who's that?
[King of Disaster]: Yeah, forget it.
[King of Disaster]: Nao, is he handsome?
[Moonlight Dragon]: Who?
[King of Disaster]: Karaka-sii, I guess.
[Moonlight Dragon]: Not as good-looking as me.
[King of Disaster]: Yeah, that means he's handsome.
[King of Disaster]: Got a photo?
[Moonlight Dragon]: No.
[King of Disaster]: Show me a sketch.
[Moonlight Dragon]: I don't want to have to buy a skateboard.
[Moonlight Dragon]: And learn how to use it.
[King of Disaster]: That's not what I meant. I meant a sketch photo.
[Moonlight Dragon]: sends photo
[King of Disaster]: Not that photo.
[King of Disaster]: Talking to you drives me crazy.
(TN: Their whole conversation is so funny and it's 10 times more funny in thai lol)
"Jay," I called out to him when he furrowed his brows at his phone screen. "You look really serious. What's wrong?"
"I don't understand," he said, handing me his phone. I scrolled through the chat in the Operation Phoenix group. I couldn't hold back my laughter.
"It's not just you who doesn't understand. I don't think they understand each other either."
"Then why do they keep talking?"
"Hahaha, that's just how they are." I handed Jay's phone back to him, and we continued eating. "Where do you want to go after lunch?"
"I want to be with you."
"Alright, do you want to go somewhere, or would you rather rest?"
"..." Jay thought for a moment. "It's up to you."
"In that case, do you want to rest?" I suggested. "You just finished a fight."
"And you?"
"I'll check on some work at home," I replied.
"Can I come with you?"
"Of course."
"Can I stay over tonight? I don't have training tomorrow."
I nodded. After we finished eating, we headed home. I sent a message to everyone in the house, letting them know Jay would be staying over. On the way, we talked. I wasn't used to an empty house—at least Mom was usually around. But now, it was just me and Jay.
I took Jay to the bedroom before going downstairs to shower and change. I told him he could lie down while I worked at my desk, but I noticed he didn't lie down. He just kept staring at me.
"Why aren't you resting?"
He shook his head. "You're not resting either."
"I'm not tired. I told you, I'm just reviewing some documents."
"I'm not tired either."
"But you just fought. You should rest at least a little."
He kept shaking his head.
"I want to be with you."
"Huh?"
"I want to stay here with you and go to training camp from here."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow. "But you'll have to wake up early, and the drive will be exhausting."
"It's fine," Jay replied calmly. "But I don't have a car."
"Commuting every day will be exhausting," I said. Suddenly, I remembered Dr. Ton Fah's advice—he had suggested I spend as much time with Jay as possible because he needed me. I had been thinking about asking him to live with me, but how?
A two-hour commute every day wouldn't be easy. Boxing training was already exhausting. Even if he said it was fine, I was worried. What about a car? He could ask Tiger to lend him one.
"Let me talk to Tiger first."
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
"Mm." Tiger looked thoughtful. After everyone came back, I immediately spoke to him. The others were inside the house while we talked in the garden.
"Dan, I want to say something from the heart."
"Yeah?"
"I don't agree with Jayden living here."
I felt disappointed hearing that.
"Because he'd be staying in your room. When I first came to this house, there was no bed, so I had to sleep on the couch. I hardly ever slept with Nao. Isn't that unfair? If he wants to stay here, he has to start by sleeping on the couch, just like I did."
I frowned and muttered regretfully, "Back then, I wanted you to sleep with Nao, but we really didn't have money. Sorry."
Tiger fell silent. "Why are you apologizing? You're making me sound like a monster." He grumbled, "I was just kidding."
I immediately smiled. "So, what do we do about his boxing training?"
"Actually, there's no issue with the car. I can lend it to you. But… what if he feels sick after training and gets into an accident while driving?"
"That's true."
"But the doctor said it would be better if he stayed with you, right?"
"Yeah, it affects his daily life. If he's far from me, he gets anxious, has trouble sleeping, or has nightmares, which affects his health. His health is important since he's a boxer. Plus, the environment is important for patients. The environment here is better—he has a mother figure and friends like Fei."
Tiger thought deeply. I appreciated that he cared about Jay. "It's crazy how we once had guns pointed at each other, and now we're under the same roof, sharing a dinner table."
"Anything can happen, huh?"
Suddenly, Tiger crossed his arms. "This isn't difficult."
"What do you mean?"
"Since the gym is far away and it's hard to travel back and forth, we could move it closer."
I was stunned. "You're going to do that?"
"We'll buy the land in front of the house and build a new gym there."
"What?!"
"I'm joking," Tiger said. "There's a gym nearby, Jab's. Jayden can train there, and Ryan can coach him here. The equipment is the same. As for food, you can handle that, right? We can also get a nutritionist. Plus, Jab's father, Lung Jerd, is great at teaching Muay Thai. In case Jayden wants to learn Kickboxing or Muay Thai. Ryan knows some things too, but I don't think anyone teaches Muay Thai better than a Thai person."
"Wow!" My eyes sparkled in admiration. "Tiger, that's an amazing idea. Can we really do this?"
"Of course."
"Thank you so much." I sincerely thanked him. "I don't know how to repay your kindness. If you ever need anything, just let me know."
"There is something."
"What is it? I'd be happy to help."
"Can you give me the contact of that Tee guy who mistook Nao for Dan? He was staring at Nao with wide eyes. I want to poke that idiot's eyes out."
"But once he knew Nao was with you, he stopped staring, right?"
"No, he still glances from time to time. He seems to really like you."
"But it was just a misunderstanding. So, are you jealous?"
"Yes!"
"I see. I'll send you his contact, but don't do anything drastic," I said, though I wasn't too keen on giving it, but I had already promised.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[Jayden]: Boss Nao.
[Jayden]: Can I get the contact of the guy interested in Dan?
[Moonlight Dragon]: Sure, I took it from Dan's phone.
[Moonlight Dragon]: send contact
[Moonlight Dragon]: What do you need it for?
[Jayden]: To ask him to stop bothering Dan.
[Jayden]: I'll only warn him once.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[Jayden]: Please leave Dan alone.
[Jayden]: I'm only warning you once.
[Natee]: I'm Sorry.
[Natee]: I didn't know the team leader was married.
[Natee]: I was just really surprised.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[Tg]: Never look at my husband again.
[Tg]: Or I'll poke your eyes out, you little shit.
[Natee]: Yes?
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
[Natee]: Team leader, do you have two husbands?
[Dan]: What?
[Natee]: Two people told me not to go near you.
[Natee]: send photo
[Dan]: Oh, the one using the name Tg is my twin brother's husband.
[Dan]: You probably met my brother today.
[Natee]: Team Leader has a twin brother?
[Natee]: So, that wasn't your husband and child, right?
[Dan]: Correct.
[Natee]: So… Team leader doesn't have a partner yet? 😳
[Dan]: Did I say that?
[Dan]: I said the one using Tg is not my husband.
[Dan]: But the other one—yeah.