"Reminders, your plates are due in 2 days. If you can submit them today, that's good. But if you haven't even started but you can cram everything in two days, then you are a god. " Tian tells his class.
His students laugh, then he turns around to look at them sternly. "If you have any concerns, or questions regarding this course, please don't hesitate to contact me, or come to my office. I get here at 7 AM and leave at 6 PM. Feel free to come within those hours."
"But Ajarn'Tian, that's an hour early in the morning and an hour late in the afternoon than the other teachers,"
"Oh no, it's normal. They're for consultation hours,"
"Well yeah, but not that long,"
"Really? Your other teachers don't stay that long?"
And they shake their heads in unison.
"I'm sure someone else does. Don't forget, okay? You're-"
*ding ding ding*
"Okay, class dismissed. See you all on Wednesday,"
"Bye Ajarn'Tian,"
"Thank you, Ajarn'Tian,"
"Bye Nanon,"
"You're welcome, Kraisee,"
"Hello, Ajarn' SeeTian,"
"Hello, Khun Longtae. Are you here to inform me about yet another dinner and sleepover?" Longtae nods enthusiastically, with the biggest shit-eating grin Tian has seen in his life.
"Yes please,"
Sigh. "Shut up. Why don't you and Dr. Nam just move in with me? You practically live there,"Longtae shakes his head, his lips pouted.
"I wish. I'd love to live with my bestie,"
"Then why don't you?"
"It's not that I don't want to. Don't get me wrong. It's more like- I can't"
"Why not? I'm not saying no,"
Longtae shakes his head again. His shoulders drooping.
"It's complicated,"
But then perks up. "It's more fun this way, no? You have Mondays to Thursdays all to yourself, and we only bother your Friday nights and the weekends. You get solitude and company. Isn't it perfect?"
"Perfect, my ass. It's perfect for you because you get free meals on the weekends. Yes, I know why you insist on sleeping over. It's so you get free meals, you hooligans,"
Longtae dramatically collapses on the table, his body laid over the top, his hand over his chest and his forehead as if he's fainting.
"Uhh! You wound me. How can you accuse me of such monstrosity? Freeloading? Bleugh the horror!"
Tian pulls the books and notebooks on the table before they get more trampled under Longtae's weight. And slowly packs them in his messenger bag.
"Stop it, drama queen. You're so dramatic. Don't bring your drama class in my classroom,"
"You know, I still wonder why you decided to take up Engineering. I think "Douche" would've been perfect for you,"
"Not for the lack of trying, Tae. Not for the lack of trying,"
He pushes the other out of the classroom and locks the door behind them.
"Did you bring your car today?"
Tian shakes his head and says "No."
"Perfect! I can repay your kindness with my presence and gas!"
"Just, go away already. Ugh. You annoy me,"
"How could you say that? Would you prefer Phupha instead?"
"Anyday. You two are too loud,"
"So you prefer brooding silence?"
"He's not brooding. He's- silent. And very observant,"
"Ha!"
"What?"
"Nothing. It's nothing," Longtae says then shakes his head with a small smile.
Seetian stops midstep to give him the stink-eye, but Tae has that look. The look that says, 'My lips are fucking sealed.'
He deters. "Okay fine. Tae, I don't have any more food at home. I need to pick up some grocery first,"
"I'll drop you off. The one near your house right?"
"No. Just drop me off at the one near here. That store near my house is in the opposite direction from your house. That's way too far,"
"It's fine. I'm picking up Nam, anyway"
They both walk towards Tae's car and luckily it was right on the first parking spot by the exit. It's a good thing teachers have their own parking space, saves them time from needing to be extra early just to get a good parking spot. Altho Tian never had that problem. Somehow, when he gets to the university, it's usually still has a lot of spots available or even empty.
"Hmm. Okay. Drop me off at the one near my house then. Anything you guys want?"
Longtae locks the door, and Tian buckles his seatbelt.
Tae pretends to think but without a moment's hesitation excitedly shouts, "Hotpot! Hotpot! And barbecue!" He exclaims then starts the engine.
"You guys are way too high-maintenance. You always demand the expensive stuff,"
"Nothing but the best for our Ajarn' Tian!" Tae says, taking his eyes off the road to look at Tian.
"The best for me, my ass! It's coming out of my pockets. I can always eat just instant noodles if it wasn't for you guys!"
"That's exactly why! You're way too lazy to cook for yourself. You need me and Nam to feed you home-cooked meals. And, you can finally use up some of the allowance Phupha sends you for grocery,"
"No way! I still don't understand why he insists on sending me money for groceries. He never sleeps or stays in the house anyway. It's YOU guys who are eating up his allowance. If he asks you, tell him you're sucking up all his grocery money,"
Tae silently nods and turns on the radio.
Tian huffs and looks outside the window.
Seetian's life wasn't always like this.
It wasn't this spontaneous, this boisterous, this alive.
He lived in, simply put, a life of luxury. He never knew the real value of money, or the lack of it, until he decided to move out from his parent's house.
And he never knew how the outside of his house, how the real world, works.
He's always been sheltered. Studying at a private school since kindergarten, and surrounded with boys his age who had nurses behind their steps, and all the latest, coolest gadgets, that Tian also had, but never really wanted. He just wanted someone to play with, run around the playground, but he doesn't easily get along with everybody.
Not until he met, Tul. The only person he can consider a close friend. They went to the same high school, even on to college, and even took on the same college program because as Tul said, and I quote; "We are meant to be together. This is ride or die, my friend." end of quote.
Even if Tian likes to argue with Longtae, he actually loves, loves the little shit. He came into his life, like the ray of sunshine that he is, into one of the darkest times of his life, and he in a way, grounded him. He'll never be truly angry at him, no not at Longtae.
His thoughts got interrupted when he hears the car pull up, and he looks outside to see the arrived at the grocery store near his apartment.
"What time will you guys come?" Tian asks while unbuckling his seatbelt and grabbing his satchel.
"In an hour to an hour-half,"
"Okay good. I still have an hour and a half with my sanity intact,"
"Look who's being a drama queen now,"
"I've got my moments,"
"Do you want us to hurry and come pick you up here, or?"
"No, I'll be fine. It's just a 10-minute walk,"
"Yeah, with 3kgs of meat. That'll be heavy,"
"Hol' up. Nobody said anything about 3kgs. How are we gonna finish all that?"
"Are you underestimating me?"
"No. I'm just being realistic. I'm not gonna blow 500 baht for your carnivorous ass,"
"Come on, it'll be fine. You can have the leftovers for next week. That way you won't have to eat instant ramen every day,"
"Okay fine. But if I don't finish it all, I'm gonna make you both eat it next weekend, okay?"
"Yes yes. Whatever. Go. And don't rush. I'll come to pick you up after 45 minutes,"
"I thought you'll take at least an hour?"
"I guess you'll see me earlier than that, won't we? Now go,"
He sighs then gets out of the car.
He doesn't get in the store not until he sees Tae's car out of the parking lot.
'Yup, this is my life now,' Tian thinks. Then grabs a cart.
So now, how did he become a teacher?
Back to the backstory, he and Tul did everything together. They went to the same parties, the same family events, they even go shopping and grocery shopping together. So what happened was, some time ago, he surrounded himself with a not-so-good crowd. He and Tul did.
They partied so much, and they came to every single party available in the city. And it would've been nice if they were just the 'having fun type of parties, but they almost never were. There were dares, gambling, and sometimes, well no not really, there are illegal substances involved. It was very wild. But like what Tul always said, "It's not wild if nothing or no one gets broken."
And it was just about the time they would get into some kind of trouble and get punished. And getting caught they did. But because he and Tul's parents had influence and connection, they were about to get away with it with just a slap on the wrist, but Tian didn't want to just get away with it. He was getting fed up, so he volunteered him and Tul for community service.
Tul didn't talk to him for like 3 hours, upset that he'd spend the next 2 months spending his weekends for community service, but Tian got Tul to jump in by promising to him to go to the US trip he's been begging him to come with.
But when they got their assignment for the service, it was not what Tian expected. He expected to get to volunteer to animal conservation, or reserve, but instead, they were made to volunteer at an elementary school.
Their parents were against it at first. Saying that was a little too strenuous and hassle and it would affect their studies, but it was exactly what their parents said that made Tian put his foot down, and agreed to the assignment.
Tul got a little luckier and was placed in a school just on the outskirts of Bangkok, but Tian got placed in a school in the hills of Northern Thailand. That because it was so far away from Bangkok, Tian had to take the service during summer break, and he had to live in the area because it was very far and not very accessible to the city.
Tian was not expecting a grand reception, but it was a little more lukewarm than he expected. Because he's from the city, the locals in the area received him with overwhelming hospitality or with utter nonchalance. No in-between. And that's perfectly fine to Tian. He gets it, but it got a little challenging for him when almost no one wanted to talk to him, except for the resident teacher and the local who picked him up from the city.
But it was good still. The resident teacher was very sweet, she was very patient and very forgiving to him. She didn't judge him at all, and instead educated him of their traditions and beliefs and it made things easier for him. But he still counted for the days till he gets back to Bangkok. At home with his parents, his best friend, and college. He never expected to miss going to college, but he did. And thinking about it now is very funny.
But 2 weeks into his service, a local resident who was around his age was in Bangkok for college, came home for the break, and Tian never thought his life would shift at this moment.
Cue in Longtae.
Longtae, the little shit who loves to leech off him on the weekends, and of his weekly groceries, but also the little shit that sucks out the loneliness, so he kinda forgive him.
But it was Longtae, and all the lovely residents of that hill that made him see the beauty of life. That living isn't about what's the next nice, expensive thing you can buy, or the grand, luxurious place you can go, but rather what makes you feel grounded and where you feel like you truly, truly belong.
So what happened next was so unexpected to Tian. So unexpected. It was not like him at all.
He wanted to do something. For the first time in his life, he finally wanted to do something. Not jusr because his parents told him to do so.
And that something is teaching. Educating youngsters.
And Tian, never in a million years, imagined or thought of himself as a teacher. He was impulsive, persistent, stubborn, and so scared that he just never thought he would be enough of a role model to anybody.
It was the lovely residents of that hill that made him see that yes, he's impulsive, but it's what makes him overcome his fears. He was persistent and stubborn, and it was what made him want to give his best and provide the best to the people looking up to him. So fuck it, when he finished the 2-month service, he went home and told his parents that he wanted to be an educator.
And Tian, didn't expect what his parents said to him. They said yes, with the condition that he follow his heart, and to tell them the moment he needs any kind of help.
And Tian broke down in tears and loved his parents more after that.
He dragged Longtae around campus, talked to the school admins about shifting to Education, but again, Longtae the little shit, convinced him how cool it would be if he was an engineer at the same time a teacher.
So fuck it again, he didn't change courses, and decided to become a fucking engineer, and pursue education after that.
And he never looked back since.
Within the course of taking up his first bachelor's degree, his friend group expanded and included Longtae's childhood friends, Phupha and Nam.
And again, another shift in his reality that he never expected.
Phupha is Longtae's childhood friend from the village, and they're basically brothers because everyone in the village considered each other family. But Nam only came into their friendship later when Phupha made friends with him. Tian is not sure of the details but they became a trio but Tae didn't consider them as his best friends, more like brothers. But when Tian came along, Longtae said he was the soulmate he was looking for. And Tian watched Nam and Phupha's face as he said it, expecting rejection but what he saw were fondness and acceptance and so he did not expect that Nam would hug him tight and whispered to him 'Thank you.
It felt nice, considering the years he was never able to connect to anybody except Tul, and now he did with them so quickly, and it made him feel validated.
Phupha was a little timider with his reception though. He shook his hand and gave him a very small, handsome smile. And that was the first time Tian found someone attractive. But only because he is attractive, okay? Not that he's attracted. They're friends. He doesn't do friends.
And just a few weeks into their friendship, Tian decided it was time for him to introduce Tul his new found-friends. The first friends he made by himself. They met over a barbecue at Tian's house, with few drinks, and Tul was their instant friend. He got along really well with all three of them, and they joked and laughed all night. Except for Phupha. It seems like the most energetic response he gives is a smile, but it suits him perfectly.
Tian leans back and looked.
Tul is poking Longtae's stomach because the latter complained about his belly fat, to which Tul answers with "You're perfect, don't worry." and a blushing Longtae, and a teasing Nam.He is surrounded by people who he feels he can finally just be. People who don't fill the void in him, but simply make him feel that it's okay and that it's valid to feel empty. And that was what he actually needed all along. To be validated.
But Tian doesn't tell Tul about wanting to become a teacher yet.
All five of them had changes in their careers. He, Longtae, and Tul got into a respectable engineering firm, Nam finally started his hospital residency and Phupha finally got a rank up in the service. Phupha and Nam are 2 years older than them, so they're further up ahead. But it never really affected anything with their dynamics.
Well, not explicitly changing anything, because he noticed that he and Nam get along really well, but not with Phupha. Well, they actually do get along, but not the same as Tae and Nam. It's like, nevermind. Maybe he's just overthinking it.
Years forward, the three engineering students are waiting for the results of their engineering licensure exam, and at the same time Tian is finishing up the last requirements for his second degree, which then he finally decided to tell Tul what he wanted to do.
He doesn't know why he never told him before. Embarrassment? Guilt?
They met up for lunch, they went to their usual restaurant, when they were together like 24/7, and it was on a bite of steak, that Tian said, "I want to become a teacher,"
Tul went silent, and took another bite of his steak, and answered, "I know,"
Tian was so surprised he chokes on his food, that Tul had to give him his drink because Tian finished his but was still choking.
When the excitement was over, and Tian has finally unclogged his esophagus, he says, "You knew? How?"
"Longtae. He told me. He didn't know that you haven't told me yet, so he asked me one time if I was planning to take up education too, and so I asked him if he was and he answered no, but that you were. And I told him I didn't know. So in true Longtae fashion, he panicked and tried to take everything back and things happened, and that's that."
"What things?" Tian asked in suspicion.
"Things that are not the point of today's meeting,"
"You guys are getting awfully close. Are you dating?"
And it was Tul's turn to choke on his food.
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The first part is out. Hehehe this became way, way out of hand, more than I expected, and so I need to break it into parts. The next part, hopefully, will come out in a couple of days.
But while it's still a work-in-progress, changes are very welcome. You can point them out blatantly, I love getting pointed out. (I'm kidding, but yes please do point out anything out of place, it's more than welcome! hehehe)
Since this is unbeta-ed, there will be bazillion mistakes, so I'm sorry in advance. Huhuhu.
But as always, comments, suggestions, criticisms, and fangirling are more than welcome! Please type away!
And if you liked it, please consider clicking the vote button.
Until then,
Ciao Bellas!