It is often said that unpredictable things happen in the world, as the saying goes: "anything can happen".Like me, for example, Jadeniphat, who had never been successful in the last 27 years, I had managed to find an enviable boyfriend. And my two friends who had had problems with each other for years had now become something more than friends, something ambiguous. The most unexpected thing was that in a few days it would be my first anniversary with Mai!
Time had flown by like the salary that had just been credited to the bank account. I looked at the calendar on the table, with circles around the important dates, and was a little surprised: Mai had been able to tolerate me for an entire year. To be honest, I wasn't an extraordinary person, I had some character flaws, but Mai was still here, willing to stand by me. Since we knew each other, he took care of me in every detail. King had once asked me if I had to choose between winning the lottery and becoming Mai's boyfriend, what would I choose. Obviously, without hesitation, I had chosen the second option. My boyfriend had a rich family, who knows how many times he was richer than the lottery prize!
Joke! Even if Mai wasn't rich, I would still choose him.
It was nice to have money, but I thought finding a good person was the most important thing. You could encourage each other, care for each other, walk side by side in life. I was luckier than winning the lottery. Even if I were reborn in the next life, I didn't know if I would still have the opportunity to meet such a special person. When you were lucky to win the lottery, you had to do your best to stick with it. I was putting a lot of effort into this relationship, to welcome our anniversary with dignity!
But, as I said, unpredictable things happen in the world.Just when we were planning to celebrate our anniversary in a restaurant or bar, listening to relaxing music, enjoying culinary delights and exchanging sweet confidences about the adventures of the past year, Mai had had a sudden crisis just the day before the anniversary!
The clock in the IT department read 7.30 in the morning. I was like an abandoned puppy, absentmindedly eating fried pastries and drinking coffee. Colleagues from the office gradually arrived and greeted me, but I only responded with a nod and looked down at my desk again, deeply disappointed.
It had all started the day before, Sunday, when Mai and I had gone to the mall as usual to have dinner and watch a movie. While we were choosing some snacks in the supermarket to take home, I suddenly heard someone call my name.
********
Sunday
"Jade? Is that you, Jade?"
"Oh, P'Neung!" When I saw who was calling me, I opened my eyes in surprise and approached quickly, putting my hands together as if in a respectful greeting. Neung was my senior in college, two years older than me. During my first and second year, he had been the president of the student association. Because I often helped seniors work in the association, I had become friends with the president himself.
Neung was always very kind to me. Being very poor at English and having gotten a terrible grade, he tutored me and often gave me snacks. Like most young people, I secretly admired my senior. Just being close to him was enough to make me feel emotional. After he graduated, we never spoke again because Neung went to the United States to study.
"When did you return to your homeland?" I asked, quickly looking my senior up and down. He was even more handsome than before, with his age now exceeding thirty, he had darker skin than in the past. He was really charming!
"I came back two months ago." Neung replied with a radiant smile. "I wanted to contact you, Jade... And by chance I met you!"
"Really, P'Neung?! What a coincidence! After all these years, you have become more and more beautiful!" I raised my eyebrows and joked. He laughed lightly and patted my head.
"You've become prettier and prettier, you have a doll's face."
"Hehe! Thanks, Phi!" I happily thanked the older boy with folded hands. Usually when I meet up with old friends, most of them would just say, "Hey, Jade! You've gained weight again!' Neung was the first person who praised me as cute!
It's also true that people in love usually become adorable! Hahaha!
"So, Jade, where do you work now? Are you still a graphic designer?"
"Yes, as before. And you?"
"I became a professor. I returned to teaching at our university. A professor retired and I took his place." After saying this, I narrowed my eyes and continued teasing Neung.
"Oh, wow! With such a charming professor, I don't know if students will be able to concentrate on books!"
"Maybe, hahaha!" Neung laughed and ran his hand through my hair again. We, who had reunited after a long time, continued to ask each other about our lives. Throughout the conversation, the senior's gaze was constantly fixed on me, he never moved away. I had the impression that his eyes shone every time he looked at me, perhaps because he had met someone he knew.
"So, Phi, did you get married? After living abroad for so many years, have you brought home a foreign wife for your family?"
"I've had a few relationships in the past, but none of them lasted long. I don't have a partner at the moment." Then, the senior looked at me silently and said, "What about you, Jade? Do you have anyone?"
"Um... I..."
"P'Jade." A deep and dark voice sounded at that moment. I immediately turned to look back, only then remembering that I had been so busy talking to the senior that I had forgotten Mai near the cart.
"Are you Jade's brother?" Neung saw a tall, slender boy next to me, immediately shook his head explaining.
"No, no, he's my boyfriend."
"Fiancé?!" Neung looked surprised, maybe he didn't expect me, who looked average, to have such a handsome boyfriend. Not only the senior, but I couldn't believe it either.
"Yes, I'm P'Jade's boyfriend." Mai smiled politely, as if confirming my statement, and placed his hand on my shoulder. Neung calmed down a little and adjusted his facial expression, politely greeted Mai and turned to me again.
"I never thought Jade could have a boyfriend so young. I remember you telling me during your college years that you liked older people... like me."
"Um... what are you saying! People change, hahaha!" I laughed awkwardly.
Right, I had told P'Neung that I liked older people because back then I thought I was still young and secretly admired the senior.I never imagined he still remembered it.
We continued chatting for a while and after exchanging our contact details, I felt the person next to me who was hugging my shoulder tighten his grip. I turned to look at the man next to me and saw Mai with a gentle smile on his face, but his deep brown eyes were gradually getting darker.
"Good, I have to go now. Let's meet for dinner next time!"
"Okay, senior! See you soon!" After greeting the senior with folded hands, I turned to the person next to me. He never loosened his grip on my arm and looked at me with a puzzled look.
"Who was that person?"
"It's been a while since I've seen the senior in college. He had gone to study abroad." As I pushed the cart, I replied to Mai. My eyes were constantly drawn to the snacks on the shelves.
This one looks good, that one too. Can I take them all?
"Are you close friends with him?"
"Yes, we are quite good friends. I secretly admired the senior, he was a good person and he always invited me to eat snacks. " I kept talking, my mind was only focused on the snacks, so I didn't notice that Mai had suddenly gone silent. I was too distracted.
In the evening, after returning to the apartment, I went to shower and change. While I was sitting on the couch enjoying snacks, the sound of a notification on my phone surprised me. It was a message from Neung asking for advice on an apartment to find in the Ekkamai area, where I worked. I called Neung on Line and we talked for ten minutes. Considering that he had helped me with tutoring in the past, I had agreed to accompany Neung to visit the apartment the next day. After I ended the call with P'Neung, I returned to my room.
"Shall we play ROV tonight? I'm calling King and Gun!" I said as I sat down on the bed.
The boy looked at me in silence for a while and then looked away, saying in a calm tone: "No, tomorrow is Monday. Let's go to sleep early."
"It's only 9pm!" I couldn't help but exclaim. But Mai didn't answer me, he simply lay down and closed his eyes, leaving me to stare at him wide-eyed. Finally he turned off the light in the room and I lay down too.
"He didn't hug me tonight..." I muttered to myself and frowned darkly. The situation was not normal, it was a red alert. Usually the boy loved to hold me close, he would hug me and kiss me before falling asleep. But this time he lay down in silence, even turned away. He was really strange!
Maybe I did something that annoyed him without realizing it?...I thought and thought, until finally I fell asleep without realizing it...
The next morning, Mai's quirk became more and more apparent. We now lived in an apartment near the office and both took the subway to work. We usually hung out together, but today Mai had left before I finished changing and he hadn't even come over to give me a kiss on the cheek like usual.
Oh God! There is definitely something wrong!! Usually he kisses me on the cheek, but today he picked up his bag and left. What have I done?! Maybe I stepped on an invisible landmine?!
During the subway ride, I continued to think, frowning. In almost a year of our relationship, Mai had never been angry with me, so it couldn't just be anger. It seemed more like a question related to something specific. My mind was constantly moving, so much so that I even missed my stop and had to take the train again to go back to Phrom Phong Station. Eventually I began to suspect that Mai was angry about something related to Neung.
As soon as I thought that, I felt like hitting my silly head.
Come to think of it, I was so stupid! I talked about my secret admiration for the senior and agreed to go out and show him some apartments. I didn't think carefully enough. I have no more thoughts for the senior, but Mai might be thinking who knows what. If I were in his place, I would feel hurt if I found out that my boyfriend is close to a girl he admired in the past. And then tomorrow is our anniversary! Oh no! It's a real cliché! I don't want this relationship to end after just a year! I want to be with Mai for at least three or four decades! Even if I die, I want to die with him, understand?!
Because of my distraction, I was sitting in the office and feeling desperate. I didn't dare text him, but I was also very worried. What should I do?
"What's going on, Jade? You look like a dead dog." That extremely provocative tone made me raise my head, thus seeing the imposing figure of my dear friend approaching. King placed a cup of coffee on the desk next to mine and sat down in his place.
"And Uea?" I asked, not seeing the shadow of King's usual inseparable companion.
"He went to the marketing department, said he needed to talk to P'Som." King replied. Since we had gone through a series of extremely dramatic events, the whole office now knew that my two dear friends had officially become an ambiguous couple, not to mention how many times they had ended up in bed together. I was really happy for them, because my friends' happiness was the most beautiful thing.
But now I'm very unhappy, and the situation is really terrible...
"You look really unhappy, Jade. What happened? Did you argue with your boyfriend?" King said.
"How do you know?!" His question made me immediately turn to look at him.
Is it a worm in my stomach? How does he know what I'm worried about?!
"Your life is just 'eat' and 'Never'." he laughed uproariously. I frowned. Are you trying to insult me for my greed? But that's okay, the situation with Mai is more important now!
"We didn't actually argue, it's just that Mai is mad at me." I sighed and rested my chin on the desk. King got up from his seat, sat down in Uea's chair, and gave me a hard pat on the shoulder.
"So, today I will do good and listen to you. I can give you some advice." he said.
"Are you doing good or just looking for gossip?"
"Actually a bit of both. Come on, tell me everything, I'm all ears." As soon as I heard those words from my friend, I decided to tell him in detail about the meeting with Neung the day before. King was an excellent listener, he listened to me in silence, occasionally taking a few sips of coffee from his cup. When I finished speaking, the coffee cup was almost empty.
"Well, you deserve him to be mad at you. You're really stupid, Jade." After he finished speaking, this was the first thing King said. I stared at him intently and snatched the coffee cup from his hand.
"I'm here to ask you for advice, not to be insulted!" I blurted out..
"Okay okay. I'm not trying to insult you. Now I'm ready to give you some suggestions." he said, rubbing my hair gently. His tone had suddenly turned serious.
"The reason you told Mai is because you have no other intentions towards your senior, but if you then go to him in other places, I would also find it inappropriate. You did a favor in the case of your senior's apartment, but as for Mai, explain the situation to him as soon as possible this evening." King advised.
"Yes, that's right. But Mai has never been angry with me before and I don't know how to calm him down." I sighed heavily. After a year of being in a relationship with him, we still had never argued and I didn't know how to console him. This was the first time the big dog had actually gotten mad at me.
"Do you want me to give you some advice?" King whispered in my ear, his inky black eyes carrying a hint of mischief. The alarm bells in my mind rang loudly. Usually when this asshole suggested something, it was never a good idea.
"Um... Tell me what's on your mind."
"Husband and wife issues are resolved using the body. Go and rub against him, touch him, when the atmosphere heats up, his mood will naturally be happy! " he especially emphasized the last word, making my cheeks blush.
I said it, this guy only thinks with his lower body!
"I'm not joking, you know. Physical intimacy can strengthen bonds between people. You should also buy a cat headband and put it on to try to win him over. I'm one hundred percent sure it will soften. Ah, but you don't even look like a cat."
King touched his chin, pretending to think, and looked closely at my face, so you ask him, "So what do I look like?"
"You look like a stupid buffalo, hahaha!"
"King, you're such an asshole! What kind of friend are you?! Come here, I want to beat you to death!" My line of reasoning broke down instantly. Finally, first thing in the morning, I exercised by chasing the damned thing around the office to catch it, until Bas, who had just entered the office, scolded us a couple of times, putting an end to it all.
As for King's suggestions... they don't seem to be of much help. So what should I do to console my boyfriend?
*********
All day I sat working in silence, continually looking for a way to win over my boyfriend. When it was almost time to leave, at 5.30 pm sharp, I immediately gathered my things and left the office. I texted Mai asking what he wanted to eat because I wanted to buy it, but he said it wasn't necessary. So I spent the evening alone, disconsolate, eating a plate of Chinese barbecue rice in the market near the office.
Maybe I'm thinking too much. When you have an empty stomach, you can't think about anything. I have to fill my stomach before I can think of a way to console Mai.
I returned to Mai's apartment around 7pm. I heard noises coming from the bedroom bathroom, so I grabbed a towel and some clothes and went into the other bathroom to take a shower. When I came out, I saw my boyfriend making a smoothie in the kitchen.
"What are you doing?" I quickly approached, even though I clearly saw what he was doing, I couldn't help but ask him.
Mai turned to look at me and in a calm voice replied: "Do you want one too? I can make you another one."
"Um... No thanks." I laughed dryly, refusing, but I saw my boyfriend look at the drink in his hands again. To be honest, Mai's silence scared me a little. It was difficult to deal with. The current situation was embarrassing because Mai couldn't ignore my presence, but his behavior was out of the ordinary. I didn't know if he was mad at me or how mad he was.
I sighed deeply and mentally encouraged myself.
Tomorrow will be our anniversary and I will not let this situation drag on any longer.
"Mai, is there anything worrying you?"
"It's nothing." This stubborn boy continued to hold his ground, so I hugged him from behind, resting my face on his broad back.
"Are you still angry about what happened yesterday? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry." I said softly, but my body was tense. I wasn't used to taking the lead, it was usually Mai who hovered around me. My hands and feet were stiff now, but I was still patient with the big puppy, because if we didn't deal with the situation soon, the problems would only get bigger.
"You don't like me talking to P'Neung, do you? I promise you that I will never dine alone with him, and as for P'Neung's apartment, I will only try to help him. I won't go anywhere with him alone. Do you feel better now?" I asked, only to hear a soft sigh from the person I was hugging from behind. Mai pushed my hand away and those dark brown eyes stared silently into my eyes.
"I am not angry with you." My boyfriend pulled me into his grasp, his strong arms squeezing my waist as if he was afraid I would suddenly disappear. I stood there motionless in his arms without understanding, then I stretched out my arms to return the hug.
"If you're not angry, then what is? I see you so silent."
"I'm just scared." That response made me raise my eyebrows in surprise, and I looked at my lover, seeing the frustration in his eyes.
"Scared? Scared of what?"
"That person is someone P'Jade knows, I can understand you wanting to stay in touch with him. I just don't like it because you admired it. I have not been able to control my emotions, I am afraid of impulsively telling you something wrong. So I tried my best to hold back so as not to say anything, and then wait for me to slowly adjust." My boyfriend's dejected expression was like those large dogs abandoned at home alone by their owners.
Mai seemed calm on the outside, but was actually very anxious on the inside, especially about things that concerned me. Unlike King, Mai didn't have any emotion written on his face. He would choose to hide all his thoughts in his heart, and then remain silent. I organized my emotions carefully, and was about to comfort him by telling him not to think too much, but Mai buried his face in my shoulder and whispered, "And... I'm afraid P'Jade will fall in love with that senior again, what should I do if you fall in love about him again..."
"No, no, no! I don't feel anything anymore!!!" I widened my eyes in fear, and explained quickly, almost tangling my tongue. I thought it was a normal reaction for my boyfriend to be jealous, but he already thought I would fall in love with the senior again.
I only chatted with P'Nueng for ten minutes! But this big boy has already thought about Pluto*, which is thousands of kilometers away!
(*It's a saying used when you think too much.)
"He was the one who said you like older people."
Mai looked sad, so I cupped my love's cheeks with both hands, pronouncing each word clearly, "Yes! I felt something before, but the past is the past. I like you now, you understand?"
I saw a glimmer of light rekindle in the dog's dark eyes, but there was still a bit of sadness.
"Truly?"
"Really! My God! I really like! I won't like anyone anymore!"
"Do you really like me that much?"
"Very, very much, enormously!!!" I opened my palms and swore, for a moment I felt like I looked crazy, but I didn't care!
It doesn't matter if I look like a fool if I can keep the big dog in front of me from being depressed!
"Really?"
"Um!"
"So... can it be a little more than 'I'd like to'?" he asked me. Those dark brown pupils were full of hope, I froze for a moment, opening and closing my mouth like a fish out of water.
"Can't it be a little more 'pleasure'?" he repeated. Mai's voice was lonely, he rested his face on my shoulder again and he lightly kissed the side of his neck. "I love you very much, P'Jade. Can you also say that you love me very much?"
The big boy's sweet voice and flirtatious expression made my cheeks burn with embarrassment, feeling like my ears were so hot that the steam was about to escape. Since we were together, Mai had often whispered in my ear that he loved me very naturally. I loved him too, but I felt shy... So I always used the word 'I like you', and I didn't say it often.
But now it's time to talk.
"Uh... Actually... It's not just 'like'..." I said stuttering, I knew I must be blushing now: "I... I... love you too..."
As soon as the big boy heard my words, he immediately raised his head. I pressed my lips together tightly. Although I was so shy that I wanted to turn and run, I still tried to force myself to look directly into Mai's eyes to prove that what I had just said was true. Mai stared at me in silence. I stood there for a moment, and then slowly the corners of his mouth curved into a smile, and I smiled back.
"Thank you." Mai said softly, leaning down to kiss me on his lips. I kissed him back in a relaxed manner, thinking in my heart that we were lucky to be able to overcome our differences before the anniversary.
His thin lips sucked mine teasingly. They seemed to have no intention of walking away and letting me go. His arms were still wrapped tightly around my waist and buttocks, as if they were octopus tentacles. I closed my eyes and placed my hands on his chest, stroking the strong muscles, until I heard the ragged sound of his breathing coming from his throat. He never let go of my lips, those shining eyes were like those of a wild wolf smelling the smell of meat.
"P'Jade, tomorrow is our anniversary." The big boy whispered in my ear, and he kissed my neck with his warm lips, giving me a tingling sensation. I had been completely caught up in the moment, but after I came to my senses, I saw the other boy's eyes and immediately knew what I had just done. From Mai's eyes I understood what my destiny would be.
"Can we... celebrate early?" The deep voice was mixed with a hint of slyness. My cheeks were almost burning and I finally nodded, letting the taller man take me to the bedroom.
As King said this morning, since tomorrow is our one year anniversary, it would be a good idea to do some bonding activities with my boyfriend!
Mai and I celebrated all night. When the clock struck midnight, the deep voice of my beloved whispered softly in my ear, that I was exhausted and about to lose consciousness.
"Happy anniversary, P'Jade! I love you so much!"
I didn't remember if I managed to answer him or if I accidentally fell asleep, but even if I didn't say it that night, it didn't matter. I would have said it early in the morning as soon as I woke up!
I will also say that I love Mai so much!