Prologue: Watch out
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This is just a waste of time. People in chaos, it smells like alcohol, but I'm not sure. The sky was already dark and it looked like it would rain soon with slightly cool weather. I just wanted to have a little fun. But if it's alcohol... it's not enough.
I let the bitter drink flow down my throat in large gulps and slammed the empty glass hard on the table. Right now it feels so cold, so I grabbed the glass before pouring again.
"Why don't you hold back?" said Chai, who was sitting across from me.
"North, you're drinking way too fast, I can't handle it!"
"Then you don't need to drink," I said before grabbing the bottle. But it was snatched away first by that cold guy.
"Get a grip, man. I can't handle this. Just take this glass and let's call it quits," said the person next to me, before giving me another glass of alcohol. I finished the entire glass at once and put it back down. "Damn, I hate stubborn people for this reason. What a waste of money!" complained Duen Nao.
"I'm not a stubborn person, seriously!" I said before gently patting his head with my hand. I was telling the truth. I'm not that strong at drinking.
"But right now, his throat is stronger than his heart!" Chai teased. Judging from his condition, he was also starting to lose consciousness.
"Ah, excellent...," I said while giving a thumbs up. "Why are you drinking so little? Relax, I'll take care of you." I turned to ask my friend Duen Nao, since he was drinking so little.
I was lucky enough to win the lottery, so I brought them here to celebrate. My heart is broken, when I think back on it.
"North, you're drunk, he's drunk, he's also drunk. If I get drunk, who will take care of your corpses?" said Duen Nao with a slight pout.
"How do you know you're not drunk? How do you know I'm drunk?"
"You guys are drunk, you're just acting calm. I'm a little drunk, but I'm still conscious enough to know you're all already drunk. Just look, if I tell you to stand up, you won't be able to support your bodies and will fall right over!" said Duen Nao, holding back laughter while looking at the dissatisfied stares we threw at him.
The four of us: me, Duen Nao, Chai, and Ikkyu, study Engineering at the same campus. This is a drinking session... because I really can't take it anymore.
"Oh, what's wrong with you all? I'm an engineer. What do I have to do to compete? Don't I have a future? Do I look like I can't take care of myself? Why did she leave me?" I said.
My words were a bit confusing, but don't be offended by a drunk person because I'm just saying what's on my mind.
“Don’t talk like that. It reflects badly on the whole group. We’re all representing the Engineering faculty.”
"Seriously, don't I have anything to compete with him?" I repeated the same question to my friends who couldn't give me an answer.
And I didn't even want their answer.
"I don't have an answer for you. But I can give you this," said Ai Nao, ready to give me a glass of alcohol.
"Are you saying I can't handle it?" I asked, furrowing my brow.
"No!"
"See, I'm so tough that you're giving me straight liquor, right?" I said, before smiling a little and quickly downing the drink into my mouth.
Heat spread from my throat to my stomach.
Honestly, I can't say I'm heartbroken enough since we decided to break up temporarily, but she told people seriously. I used to think I could accept letting her go completely, but...
'Ja Jan' is my ex-girlfriend's name. Recently, her status has changed and she's been with 'Dr. Temp' since the beginning of college.
She broke up with me when we were about to graduate high school, because she wanted to choose someone who had a better future than me and start a relationship with him.
"North, I want you to understand. We're all adults now. She wants to choose someone who has a future to date. You can't play around like when you were still in high school, right?"
Well... I wasn't playing around either, was I?
But what could I do, I had no rights whatsoever.
"Oh, I don't remember your ex-girlfriend. Did she go to high school with us?" asked Ai Kyu.
"No. She went to high school near here. But Temp went to high school with us."
"Dr. Temp. I pray you won't run into each other." Ai Nao said, "Otherwise, Ai North will go crazy."
"Damn, shouldn't I be the one saying that? Anyway, just don't let him regret it, that's enough!" I said before grabbing some snacks to eat.
"Geez, I'm not used to North in this mode. Can you throw out this damn North?"
"By the way North, will you go back with me?" asked Kyu. Today he brought his car because he was sure he'd be carrying his drunk friends' corpses.
"No, my dorm is in a different direction from you guys. If I start getting drunk, I'll call the number I have memorized as 'Hell Mate'. I already told him to come pick up my corpse."
"Hell Mate?" Skate asked, furrowing his brow in disbelief.
"Yeah, Ter and his boyfriend."
"Doctor Hill?"
"Yeah, they're a perfect match."
"..."
"Oh, his boyfriend is so handsome. Anyone would definitely be addicted to him," said Chai while sighing a little.
My friend became close with Ai Ter, so they also know his boyfriend, Hill.
"Oh, I don't know if I should be jealous or happy. Can't say too much. Since he's been with Phi Hill, he's gotten so many benefits. He often buys him food and some snacks too until he got fat. Phi Hill also bought some stuff for the room and then pays the electricity and water bills."
"There are only a few people who are handsome and kind. I really want one like that too. Right now, I still have to deal with Chai to pay the electricity bill."
I think that's because he's roommates with Kyu.
"Let's share..." I said.
"How can you share him? He's more expensive than me."
We chatted together about various things, before clinking glasses briefly. I don't know much about what we were talking about, right now I can't even keep my neck and eyes awake.
"North, I remember. Is that the Temp you mean?" Chai said in a hoarse voice. "Does his face look like that? I feel like you showed me a photo before." He pointed his hand in another direction. I immediately looked in the direction he was pointing.
Yeah... it's really him.
"Damn, I prayed you wouldn't meet. And now he's sitting next to me?" Nao said to me.
He looked closer, "Damn! Where are you going, North?"
I pushed myself before my brain could tell me and ignored any calls from my friends sitting there.
For a moment, I staggered a bit and walked toward the guy who said he would take good care of Ja Jan.
And now he's breaking his promise!
"What are you doing?" I asked loudly. The people who were cheering at that table fell silent and stared at me.
Temp looked a little surprised to see me, before slowly releasing his embrace from the woman next to him.
"North?" Temp stood up and called my name.
"I'm asking, what are you doing!!" Without waiting for an answer, I clenched my fist and slammed it into his face with full force, accompanied by screams and cheers from the people around.
I admit that I'm not a calm person.
Plus I'm drunk.
There's no doubt that I won't be able to restrain myself now.
I went to grab the collar of the guy who had fallen. The other party stared back at me without the slightest fear, while the corner of his mouth was decorated with flowing blood, smiling mockingly.
"So you're that angry at me? Why are you being a nuisance when you couldn't even be faithful to her!?"
"Damn you!"
"Hey North!" a voice shouted from behind.
"You don't need to stop me," I said without looking. From the voice, it must be Duan Nao.
Temp waited for the right moment to retaliate with his punch. Usually, I could dodge, but not when I'm not fully conscious like this. I staggered a bit before roughly wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.
"Who told you to stop me?!"
"Damn, Nao! Why did you stop him?" Kyu's voice was heard.
"Are you going to gang up on me?!"
"Bastard, you're all drunk and causing trouble. Hey, I'm not involved. Don't try to make trouble with me. Woah! I don't want to get hurt again."
Chaos was heard in the small shop. I clearly wasn't holding back at all, and neither was he. I didn't care at all about the people trying to stop me or the situation around me. All I knew was that Nao came to save me from Temp. They came and crowded around. While Chai and Kyu, who don't like making trouble, got caught up in the brawl.
Before the picture I saw was all cut off, at some point...
"Umm...." I pursed my lips tightly. When I vaguely woke up with piercing pain spreading throughout my body.
A very severe headache accompanied by a faint aroma of perfume floating to my nose. What is this, am I awake or still dreaming?
But I couldn't open my eyes.
If I had to guess, even though I wasn't too drunk, I was beaten unconscious.
"My head hurts," I said, because the pain was getting worse.
"Who gave you that much to drink?"
"...???!!!"
Who is that? The voice is completely unfamiliar.
And why do I feel like I'm being held?
Damn, I feel nauseous...
Even though I'm still not fully conscious. But I remember this feeling well.
"Be careful," he said in a low voice.
"Huh?"
"Fuck, watch out for my shirt!" Someone yelled, because... all the food in my stomach came flying out.
Damn.... Fried chicken, snacks, alcohol, I threw it all up. What a shame, but I can't swallow it back.
"Sorry.... hueeekk..."
"Hey!!"
☁️ notes:
Hell Mate: A humorous or ironic nickname for a friend who’s reliable in chaotic situations (e.g., picking up drunk friends).
The phrase “taking care of corpses” is a humorous Thai idiom for dealing with friends who are so drunk they’re practically unconscious.
