The Gossip of BL [E-book on MEB]

CHAPTER 50 : Let's Go Up the Mountain

Kan's mobile phone alarm was the first to go off in the early morning darkness. The sky remained dim, with no sunlight visible, and nocturnal insects could still be heard. He quickly reached out to turn off the alarm, fearing it would wake the others up too early.

As they were about to fall asleep the night before, Book suggested they go to Kiew Mae Pan, which would require hiking up a mountain to explore a nature trail. Nun and Can had grumbled a little, concerned about the difficulty, but Kan was completely different, appearing quite excited. He had wanted to do something like this for a long time but never got the chance. When he heard Book's invitation, he accepted it immediately.

His early rise was also due to his excitement about trying out an activity he was interested in, which had made it difficult for him to sleep well. He washed his face, brushed his teeth, and changed clothes quickly. The cold morning air made him decide not to shower, even though hot water was available. The open-air bathroom, which allowed for constant wind, made it unbearably cold.

Kan returned to the dome. Everyone else was still sleeping motionless, so he tried to do everything as quietly as possible to avoid waking them up.

"You are awake already?" A groggy voice inquired as Kan packed his backpack for the climb up the mountain.

"Mmm," Kan said softly to Book as he continued to transfer items from the large bag to the smaller backpack.

"Do not bring too much stuff, or it will be too heavy and you will not be able to walk," Book warned.

"Okay, P'." Kan agreed and used the Thai honorific for an elderly person.

"It is really cold..." Book mumbled softly, stretching his arms to yawn, before pushing himself up to sit. His face still showed signs of sleepiness.

"Do you want a hug to warm up?" Kan teased with a slight smile.

"Yes," Book replied seriously in tone and expression, making Kan feel a little shy. Even in the dim light of the phone flashlight, Kan's face revealed that he was quite shy.

Book extended his long arms to embrace the smaller person sitting beside him. He hugged Kan tightly, and the warmth made both of them feel less cold. The taller one's chin rested on Kan's shoulder, and their heads were close enough to hear each other's breathing against their necks.

Crack!

A sound caused both of them to start slightly and pull apart. Book turned to look and saw Nun and Can stirring, as if about to awaken. He quickly stood up and dashed to the restroom before his two friends could beat him to it.

The clock hands indicated 4:00 a.m., the time they needed to leave their lodging to watch the sunrise at the base of the mountain before ascending Kiew Mae Pan. According to what they looked up on the internet before coming here, the sun would rise above the horizon at 5:47 a.m. So they had to get up before the rooster crows to make it on time.

Kan knew how sluggish his seniors could be, so he rushed to wake up before everyone else to prepare. This way, they will not have to rush later. And it appeared to be working that way. While he had finished everything and was now sitting and reading a book while waiting because the internet signal up here was poor, Nun and Can appeared to be busy with unfinished business. Book shook his head, and even though he was used to his close friends' sluggishness, he could not help but feel annoyed.

"Every time, I make sure to remind you to get up early. We are going to miss the sunrise," Book lamented as he placed his backpack on the table where Kan was sitting.

"We are almost done; just a moment," Nun said.

"Seriously," Can added.

Although Nun and Can's mouths were complaining, their hands remained busy applying facial moisturizer before hurriedly packing necessary items into small bags.