LOVELY WRITER 5

 CHAPTER 5

I was never wrong, looking at the previous situation, I worked late into the night, and when I got up and left the room, I didn’t find anyone there. I remember that Nubsib left for fitting today, Ai Tum already told me.
I walked into the kitchen to make coffee and eat sweets. At that time, the cellphone sounded repeatedly like an alarm sound . Tum sending pictures.
Tum : (send pictures)
Tum : (send picture)
Tum : The main character is really cool right?
I can see that Tum sent a photo of Nubsib standing with the other team members, most likely it is a stylish who is working on a series production. They seem to be in the studio. Nubsib is wearing clothes that will be used for filming as an actor in the series. But it didn’t look like the usual Nubsib, his hair was styled with cool looking jeans.
Gene : Your son didn’t disappoint me.
Tum : Are you awake? Nubsib said you would wake up in the afternoon because you had to work at night.
I haven’t had time to reply to the message, suddenly he made a call, and it was a video call.
“Yes”
I took a step forward, leaning back on the sofa. Internet is quite stable so I can see the picture shifted back and forth clearly. The smiling man held the phone and turned the camera.
[I’ll show you the set. Nubsib the good bastard. Oh my God, you just woke up ?]
“Don’t you see it?”
[Hahaha, I can believe it. You don’t have to worry about the tattoo. They’ve ordered it to look cool, even the tattoo maker is certified.]
“Yes,” I took another sip of coffee.
[Or, if you’re not sure , you can take a look at the pictures I sent, so cool that girls will fall in love]
“What will you give me?”
[Well, you can choose them, they need your approval.]
“…”
[Well, the first day of shooting …]
[P’Tum]
[Ha!? What?]
I saw his face suddenly approaching Tum, he looked in another direction. I felt like my face was very messy, so I shifted my cellphone camera towards my chin.
[Are you talking with someone?]
[Ai Gene]
[Do Khun Gene already wake ?]
Then I realized that the bass voice is Nubsib who spoke closely to Tum, I tried to say hello, but I gave up my mind.
[Yes, he already replied to my LINE, so I made a video call. ]
[Video?]
[ Damn, I only talk to him when you’re fitting]
I‘ll just listen to it. So I put my cell phone down and walked to the kitchen to find a loaf that was almost nearing its expiration date, so I took one but was too lazy to spread jam, so I just ate it.Then I walked back to sit on the sofa, when I picked up my cellphone again, I no longer saw Tum’s face, but Nubsib’s smiling handsome face.
That little kid ….
“Uh …” I was still biting the bread in my mouth.
[Khun Gene, eat bread, huh?]
“Er,” I chewed hurriedly before answering. “When I’m alone … “
[Eating bread for breakfast?] Nubsib frowned a little. He sees the bread on my hand [Bread]
“Yes, I found food for breakfast. “
I think the other hand took the coffee and took a sip. Even though it’s sachet coffee, but it’s enough for me. Also, you can add as much sugar as you like, so that the corners of your lips taste sweet. Unfortunately I can’t lick my lips. But when I turned my gaze back to the phone screen I had to stop, “Nubsib …”
[Yes?] Nubsib smiled and the eyes that saw my mouth moved. [ What’s up? ]
“Uh, no.”
He chuckled [Today, Khun Gene will be making novels in the room all day?]
“Yes, I think so.”
During the weeks I concentrated on it, it was almost at finish. When opening this manuscript, I made sure that I would hurry before the deadline. I finally stood up because I remembered having to keep it up. Otherwise I have to step back and start writing my own fantasy horror genre . “Stupid, I better check the script first.”
When I said that Nubsib encouraged me. Give his best smile and say goodbye. I wonder, what about me ? After saying goodbye, I hurriedly pressed to hang up the phone, throwing the cellphone towards the other side of the sofa, my head thought, if Nubsib looks weird suddenly doing that. I decided to forget about it and walked to the kitchen to wash my old coffee cups and put them in the dryer.
I can stay all day to take care of myself and not have to go out to buy food because last night I bought a lot of bento boxes and snacks.
My ears seemed to hear Nubsib’s voice going to campus, but I wasn’t bothered, so I kept focused on my novel until I finally tapped enter on the keyboard twice to finish the scene. Then lean back on the chair and stretch out my arms and legs to relax my muscles and get rid of the pain in my back.
The evening sun passed through the curtains, hitting my face with a hint of exhaustion . In the end, this week my novel is finally finished. I will rest, not turn on the computer for a second, three days on vacation. I opened my eyelids and took a short break. Initially I decided if I was sleepy and wanted to jump to bed, but my stomach started to scream, so I decide to wake and wash my eyes in the bathroom.
“Hmm … I can see it.” When I saw the corners of my eyes that started to wrinkle, because I often stayed up late and also starved. I finally returned to the room to change clothes and put on contact lenses.
Because suddenly I wanted to eat shabu, so I decided to go to the mall to eat ice cream, eat cake, then going back to bed until morning.
I smiled at a waiter who was scrubbing the floor in front of the elevator. Then walked while holding the key to get out, but when I was about to walk to the parking lot, I saw a very luxurious car. It’s not like I‘ve never seen an expensive car. But because they live in this condo, many of them use regular cars that are always scrubbed and cared for. I have known several cars parked in the same area as my car.
Even though I was surprised, but I’m not that bothered too much, so I ‘ll keep going. But the person who opened the door and got out of the car surprised me.
“Nubsib?”
Nubsib looked completely different in the clothes of ordinary students. Her hairstyle is the same as the one I see every day, but his expression …
This looks a bit messy. His face was dark and messy, his expression was like a prince who met a hatred that I had never seen before.
“Khun Gene?”
“…”
It seems like this person knows that I keep staring at him, his face suddenly changed, he smiled as he walked towards me.
“Uh… just came back from university? Who brought you?”
“Other people.”
“Oh!” I looked at the car over his shoulder , “Bad, I wouldn’t be able to afford that luxury car.”
Nubsib smiled slightly. “Will Khun Gene want to buy it?”
“If my parents give me money, plus the salary from my job, still it won’t be enough to buy it.” I thought that Nubsib just kept smiling even though his face looked troubled, so that made me sympathize with him, so I chose to reply, “If I could buy it, I would take you to ride together.”
“Is it right?”
“Yes.”
“…” Nubsib smiled more cheerfully than before, “Khun Gene is kind.”
“Of course.”
“And this …” The person in front of me looked at me. “You don’t wear glasses, are you going out?”
“Oh! Yes, I want to find food.”
“What do you eat?” Nubsib showed a surprised expression.
“I want to go to the mall, have you eaten?”
“Not yet.” I already know Nubsib’s answer. “Go up, shower and change clothes first.”
“But if I do that Khun Gene will starve.”
I thought for a moment, “I can wait. How long does a person spend changing?” Even though I said that to look like a kind adult, but I didn’t mean anything. My feet stepped towards my gray sedan. Despite being starved, I was still able to control my limbs and brain.
I started the car, this time I didn’t forget to put my seat belt on, because we decided to eat at the mall which is about thirty minutes from the condo. Not long after Nubsib came and I started taking out the mobile from the parking lot, when I passed the checkpoint, I saw many people gathered in front of the building. It makes me think, now that I bring Nubsib who is famous and has a lot of fans out to eat, how it will be when we eat at the restaurant.
I immediately turned to see the person beside me. It seemed that this person didn’t feel affected at all, but I couldn’t help asking, “Are you okay?”
“Yes?” that person seemed surprised by my question
“Will you not meet a fan, right?” Even though he only wears ordinary clothes, walks in the mall and mingles with other people, but his aura remains unchanged, Nubsib will always stand out.
“It doesn’t matter, everyone has their own business, so no one will care.”
“Oh!” when he said that, I realized that for him it was not a problem, not because these people didn’t know him, but because most people who go to the mall because they already have their own business, such as eating, shopping, and hanging out.
Even along the way, many people will not realize that there are famous people mingling among them. But like me, maybe there are some people who will notice Nubsib’s presence because of the aura he emits.
They might see it and start gossiping, but some of them feel unsure and are afraid to get close. “Do you want to eat something special?”
“Hmm …”
“But I want to eat Shabu.”
Nubsib smiled, “Yes, Khun Gene will choose, I’ll eat it.” I ended up taking him to a shabu-shabu restaurant. Fortunately, this restaurant is quiet, the staff took Nubsib and me to sit down in an empty place.
“I’ll take the food , tell me what you want, I‘ll take it for you.”
Of course I say that, although I am usually not a person who eats a lot, but because hunger for most of the day makes me impatient to take the food.
I looked up at the sight of Nubsib pouring fresh food into the pan. While I didn’t help anything, then I put the tray down. “Gosh, there’s a lot to eat, let’s hurry and eat.” I immediately gave the plate to the person.
“Is it done ?” I stared at him while I ate, then nodded in approval, with my cheeks still puffed up, I waved my hand at Nubsib to tell him to eat. I try to eat slowly to appear more polite and charming in front of this boy.
I started a conversation with him, “Will start shooting soon, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Have you memorized the script?”
When I asked, Nubsib turned a little serious, “I’ve read it, but haven’t practiced it at all.”
“Oh.”
You should be practicing, how can an actor immerse himself in his role without practicing, can’t he practice using a mirror on his own?
“So when you asked me yesterday to ask my help regarding the script, do you have any questions?” I remember the incident when he first came to me. He came and greeted me first.
“Oh, that… there are still some things I still don’t understand.”
“Then why don’t you ask me?” I hurriedly said, “Don’t be afraid, I told you I would help you.”
“Then …”
“…”
“When I return to the condo later, Khun Gene can help me to become a practice partner.”
“Hah?” I stopped my hands pouring something into the pot. “Practice partner?”
“Yes”
“I can’t, I’ve never gotten into the role.”
“Just read the Khun Gene section, I just need someone to be a partner to read the script.”
I showed a confused face, “I just read it? Will that be of enough help? I think that …” It’s a shame, this is not an ordinary shame, this is very embarrassing, as the author of the novel, I know very well the words I use that may not be expressed often in ordinary life, because they are words to arouse the feelings of the readers.
This novel was released and became a huge success, although I have never seen the actual characters who will play this series, including Hin or related people. The person from the production just said that the script hadn’t been changed much from the original novel. But still, it’s embarrassing for me anyway.
“Yes, Khun Gene just read it. I’ll do the rest .”
“…”
His demeanor was serious and the fact that this person’s smile seemed to hold onto something left me speechless. “See, you can do it?”
“I… Um.”
I was caught by Nubsib ‘s charming sharp eyes staring at me. I nodded rapidly. I realized that I then took a deep breath. Then Nubsib smiled with his eyes, and I could no longer look at his face.
Yum, shit … kid, you can use me for that.
A few moments later after we finished eating, we walked to the cashier to pay, Nubsib took out his credit card, and I refused, I brought money to pay for our food. After that I asked the boy if he was going to look for something more to buy, because he said there wasn’t, so we decided to go back to the condo.
It took about an hour to get back to the condo, until in the condo we parted ways into our respective rooms, after taking a shower I then jumped on the bed stretching my every muscle because of the accumulated fatigue. While waiting for my hair to dry, I opened a movie watching application on my iPad.
A few moments later, I started to feel sleepy. So I decided to put my ipad down and get ready to sleep, suddenly there was a knock from my door, “Khun Gene.”
Tum’s son’s voice sounded soft. So I leaned my elbow on my face and stared stupidly at the door, the light coming in from the bottom of the door showed someone’s shadow, so I knew that person was standing in front.
“Have you been sleeping?”
“Not yet.” I shouted, “What’s wrong?”
“Khun Gene, have you forgotten what we talked about earlier?”
“Ha?!” I was confused by what Nubsib said, he sounded disappointed.
Then he continued, “Khun Gene said that if you were going to be my practice partner, am I bothering you?”
“…” I tried to open my mouth.
“If Khun Gene is sleepy, you can tell me.”
“I …” I couldn’t answer properly. Finally, when I thought of his pitiful face, I finally grabbed my glasses and jumped out of bed. Unlock the door and open it. “Okay. Where do you want to practice? “
Nubsib it seemed a bit stunned by my move. But when our eyes met, he then smiled. “I didn’t bother you?”
“Not really.”
“Has Khun Gene taken a shower?” he saw me who was already wearing pajamas. Then look closely at my face, his nose almost on my cheek and ear also. I can hear the sound of his breath against my skin, “Fragrant …”
“…” I widened my eyes in shock, then stepped back, if there was something behind me, I’m sure I would have fallen. But at least after taking three steps back and feeling far away from Nubsib, then I dared to speak, “Why did you bring your face closer like that?”
“Ah, sorry. Where are we going to practice?”
“Who do you want me to be? Let’s practice before I get sleepy.”
“Oh okay.”
I walked over to the sofa in the living room. Nubsib followed me too, but he stopped by his room to get the manuscript he had. He had two sets of manuscripts and gave one set to me. When he sat beside me, I could smell the smell of shampoo from Nubsib.
“Which part do not you understand, ask me.”
“The Kint character is here.” Nubsib approached me while opening the script. I read it, “This is how I should get into the character of Kint.”
“Hah?”
I looked into the script and saw that it was a scene where Kint was chasing Namcha until he felt frustrated.
“Oh! Here it feels a little contradictory. If you ask Namcha about the character’s feelings , you will know that he really likes him. But why is Kint still in doubt?” I moved my black eyes slightly while choosing a word. “Kint still can’t accept his own feelings because he thinks it’s embarrassing or very vulnerable to admit that Kint is in love with Namcha. But …”
“…”
“How do I explain it?”
“Doesn’t he understand his feelings himself?” Nubsib stared in disbelief, “So he’s just blaming and chasing Namcha?”
“Hm…but that’s what happened. Have you never experienced it? You like someone but you don’t want to admit it.”
“No.”
“Oh! Well, I don’t know how to explain in depth …”
“Khun Gene, have you?”
“ Ha!?” I paused when Nubsib asked that and I tried to find the answer.
He is still waiting for my answer with his eyes that keep blinking. Then I noticed his charming eyes and made me feel strange. I still can’t understand the meaning of Nubsib’s gaze, his gaze always makes me feel strange things.
“To understand that feeling, means that you have experienced Khun Gene?”
I saw that handsome face, his face closer to me until I had to back away, “I…”
“Khun Gene never had a lover before?”
“What do you want?”
“Have you?” The person in front approached him. Indicates that he wants an answer to this question.
“No, no, I’ve never had a lover.”
“…” Maybe it was because I felt intimidated, so I accidentally said it without thinking. Nubsib stopped, I wanted to take my pillow and hit my head, I felt ashamed of myself. This is one of my secrets.
It’s not that I never have a crush or approached other people, I did it when I was in school, but nothing worked, it’s sad. I have a group of friends who at the same time had lovers, there was one time when they complained about being uncomfortable with their partner. It made me keep thinking about having a lover, until in the end I always get embarrassed when someone asks me if I ever had a lover or not. Even though I tried to find a lover, I still didn’t succeed.
“Never had a lover?” Nubsib’s voice snapped me from my reverie. My brain is trying to find the right answer, but in the end I just pursed my lips.
“Yes.”
“…”
I thought I was going to see Nubsib’s face mocking me, but when I turned my head, I saw that the person next to me was smiling broadly with his teeth, making my heart pound. “Why are you smiling like that?”
“Nothing.” I exhale from my mouth. I coughed and tried to go back to our main topic
“And if you already understand the explanation?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
Nubsib smiled sweetly. “Really”
“Then let’s continue your practice.”
Nubsib opened the first page, I follow him, but I still feel embarrassed to read the words and characters in the novel that I make myself aloud, but I‘ve promised to help this child. I also don’t want to see Nubsib feel sad or disappointed.
The first scene, when the character just entered university, Namcha bewildered and awkward meeting with new friends, in this scene there are three characters. This scene is taken in the cafeteria when Namcha will eat at the cafeteria with his friends. Then the character Kint, handsome and tall, entered into the scene to make Namcha choking and spilling to Kint. Nubsib and I will practice this part.
“Continue..”
I thought when I saw the lines I had to read, “You have to know what you are doing.”
“…”
But when Nubsib said that, I became awkward again, hearing the gentle voice that came before me as he said those words with feeling. He lifted his face to look at me, his gaze was not like Nubsib, every time he made that sound, it made me feel different, “Khun Gene?”
“…”
“Khun…”
“Eh! Oh!” I frantically looked at the paper in my hand again. “I’m … sorry, I’m not concentrating.” Then I read Namcha’s lines aloud, but I don’t know what Nubsib did after that. His thick hands placed the manuscript on the table while uttering dialogue and gesturing for me to continue reading my part.
“Careless”
“I’ll take it and wash it for you.”
“No,” he let out a fierce voice and turned into a stern voice. Nubsib turned into a beast ready to pounce, “You dirty my clothes and I have to go to class soon, how can I wait?”
“What should I do?”
“Clean everything.”
“I… cleaned everything? That… it’s not…” stammered Namcha.
“Clean up, don’t let me get even more angry.”
“This … This isn’t …”
“ Hurry!”
I was shocked at this point, as in the script that the character was shocked. Therefore sputtered and continue to read part of the novel, Namcha is that neat and cute boy, but it seems I messed up and turned into an emotionless boy.
When I read as Nubsib’s practice partner, I secretly worried that I was terrible. I could just continue, this is just practice, so I’m trying to see the character Kint in Nubsib, I hope he will choose Namcha. “I ask …”
“Shia!”
Harsh words left my mouth. But it is a sad voice as thick hand it suddenly moved and squeezed my cheeks , t idak ill ta pi suddenly me out until I opened my eyes. Then Nubsib let go of my cheek, raised his hand and rubbed my cheek, “Sorry, did I hurt you?”
“Uh no …”
“I’ve been trying to do it slowly .”
“No, I wasn’t hurt.” I shook my head numbly. But then I held Nubsib’s hand, “Can we just read the lines?”
“If we do like that, not like practicing.”
“But practicing like this, it’s like really being filmed. No, no, there’s no need for this much scene , I don’t play a role. I will read it well.”
I saw the next scene, it was written that if Namcha looked at Kint who was standing in front of him, there was no way I would feel calm.
Nubsib’s voice turned cloudy and he smiled faintly, “Khun Gene doesn’t need to follow him, I can do the scene myself.”
“Ha?!”
“Khun Gene, just read, I won’t have any trouble.”
“You will have your own scene. Isn’t that strange?”
“Or will Khun Gene act too?”
“No.” My voice was very hoarse, Nubsib laughed lightly in his throat.
“So let me act alone, okay?”
I saw Nubsib’s face, then rolled my eyes and sighed. Nubsib asked me for help, but in my opinion he was quite great, this person seemed to have his own button, if he had to change according to the character he was playing and then returned to his true self.
“Don’t get pissed off, it won’t solve the problem.”
Nubsib’s thick hands held my cheek again, then pulled him closer and bowed, even though I felt a strange and embarrassed feeling, but because I agreed to help him, so I didn’t mind, I tried to avoid the stare of the Kint character in Nubsib. Though these were the stares from the characters in the novel, but I couldn’t resist the aura that Nubsib gave off and it didn’t work.
“Wait!”
“Yes?” Nubsib returned to himself, I held my chest because my heart was beating fast.
“What would you do?”
Practicing according to the script, Nubsib suddenly approached and I had to raise my hand to support the other body and turn my face to the other side, then his expression turned serious. “What scene are you acting on?”
“But here is a kiss scene.”
“Well …” Nubsib showed a confused face, as if confused why I was asking
“Yes?”
“Kiss scene, are you going to follow it?”
“Isn’t that okay ?” Of course not!
I showed a shocked face , “How can you come and kiss a man?”
“If I had to act to kiss a guy, I would do that.”
“But I’m not an artist. I don’t want to do it, it’s too much.”
When I said that, those sharp eyes stared at me, he didn’t mind. But he seemed to notice the meaning of my words. Then, frowning, he asked openly.
“Khun Gene has never kissed anyone before?”
“Huh!?” My eyes flickered, “What do you mean?”
“Khun Gene looks very concerned about kissing …”
“…”
I don’t want to kiss, it doesn’t mean I never kissed. Besides … I only care because we are guys, but I can guess that this guy doesn’t seem to care much about the kiss. The concentration and focus of Nubsib was all on acting practice rather than reality.
Nubsib wants to play realistically. But … I can’t smell it. “The point is there’s no need to go that far.”
“…” Nubsib saw my messy and frustrated expression. At first this person looked confused, but a few seconds later he seemed to understand. He moved a little, made me feel uncomfortable, then his lips formed a smile, “If Khun Gene is shy and cares about kissing you don’t have to.”
“…”
“I also don’t want to offend Khun Gene.”
“…” My forehead creased , I don’t know why it was so disappointing.
I looked at the person in front of me who was still smiling faintly and acting like he didn’t want to make me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable, his gaze seemed to want to comfort me. But I felt like I was being teased by a younger child. He didn’t seem to care about kissing, so he asked me to practice together.
I’m a writer who came to help practice. But helping that kiss scene wasn’t an exaggeration, was it? I knew I would look immature if I refused, so I decided, “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Hah?”
“I said I ‘ll help you act kiss, no problem.”
Nubsib was flabbergasted, then he looked at me at me, “Is that really okay? If Khun Gene feels uncomfortable just say it, I don’t want to make things difficult for Khun Gene.”
“Oh! I said there was no problem.”
Nubsib looked at me doubtfully, I tried to feel calm by pretending to open the script. “If you want to do it, hurry up and do it.”
“In that case…”
“…”
The warm hand touched my cheek and jaw, then one hand took off my glasses, “In the script Namcha will be shocked, but now it’s good Khun Gene close your eyes.”
“…” My body temperature suddenly increased. I had to open my eyes to play the role of Namcha to make the scene smooth, but when that handsome face approached, my heart was beating so hard I couldn’t see it and subconsciously closed my eyes and the voice of Nubsib reading the lines didn’t come over me.
In the next second I could feel Nubsib’s lips touching mine…
I’m out of breath …