Love Director [ENG]

Chapter 35: Get rid of it!

"Finally found you, Paint! I've been back home several times but kept missing you. By the way, did you get the guitar I left with Mom to return to you? I sent it over already. You know, it's getting hard to find you these days."

"Um, yes, I got it." Paint replied.

It was uncomfortable. Inside the cozy little house, Paint shifted awkwardly on the sofa. He used to be thrilled whenever he saw the tall, skinny man with a smile that made his eyes squint. But then, he wished his neighbor's older brother would just go home quickly. The reason was the look in the eyes of the man sitting next to him.

Paint never thought of his uncle as scary, but yes, at that moment, Aphros seemed intimidating. Not because he had a fierce expression or a menacing glare, but because he was still the same Aphros with a relaxed, easy smile. However, when those eyes fixated on him without looking away, Paint felt as if sharp knives were slicing through his flesh.

"Here's your water, phi."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Make yourself at home."

Even when his phi turned to smile at his younger sister Pai and took the glass of water to sip, Paint still felt as if the aura around Aphros was a swirling hurricane cutting into his skin. He could only force a smile at his neighbor's older brother, who was chatting enthusiastically.

"And where's mine?"

"Your house is just over there. Go drink at your own place."

"Hey, Ruup!" Paint quickly reprimanded his younger brother who had interrupted out of the blue. The latter shrugged indifferently and stretched his arms to prevent his sibling from going to the kitchen to get water for the other guest.

"What did I do to make you angry, Ruup? I've always been a good brother to you."

"I only have one brother." Ruup muttered quietly, making Paint unsure how to reprimand him. Fortunately, the neighbor seemed accustomed to his twin's behavior and continued the conversation seamlessly.

"I came to thank you, Paint, for what you did last time. Thanks so much. If it weren't for you, I'd be in big trouble. I never thought I'd forget the ring. I was so excited that night, kept opening the box to check it, didn't realize I dropped it. Woke up late the next morning, grabbed what I could, and ran. If it weren't for you, the proposal would've been a disaster."

"Idiot." Once again, Ruup interjected quietly, so softly that the storyteller probably didn't hear it.

Paint smiled awkwardly, but somehow, the intimidating aura from his phi seemed to fade, and his relaxed smile turned into a satisfied grin.

"You two are in 11th grade, right?" Aphros turned to the twins, who went from sulky to smiling and answering politely.

"Yes, phi. We'll have our final exams soon."

"Have you decided on a university yet?"

"We're still looking, but Ruup might not be able to follow me to the same one."

"Sorry for being dumb."

Paint sighed in relief, feeling the atmosphere lighten significantly, and smiled at his neighbor's older brother.

"It's not just thanks to me, really. You should thank your mom for rummaging through the stuff that day, and also thank Aphros. If it were just me, how could I get to Khao Yai? I don't have a car." Paint wasn't saying that to please the other man; it was true that the proposal didn't fall apart because of his uncle. He alone couldn't have managed it.

That made Phi Gus smile widely and bow to the man next to him. "Thank you so much, phi."

"You're welcome. We help each other out when we can." the man of the house replied with a kind tone, making Paint feel relieved, but only for a moment. "It's good that I don't have a careless nephew like you."