Against Parental Advice

Chapter 12

A/N: The image above does not belong to me. It belongs to the person who uploaded it on the internet.

For those who might not know it, it is an image of the popular Thai soup called tom yum. It's a sour and spicy soup that tastes really good.

Third Person POV

"I don't think so, Sea," Yin said, as if suddenly realizing what a disaster it would turn out to be if he allowed Sea's intention to happen.

"I'm sorry," Sea said, his face turning red after realizing that Yin had rejected him even before he could start anything.

"I will wait for you in the car," Yin said. "Let me know what supermarket you're buying your groceries from so I can put it into my GPS."

"Sure," said Sea, quickly moving around his room to get ready to leave the house.

The trip to the supermarket was made in awkward silence.

Sea wanted to kick himself for that bold move.

Yin wanted to kick himself for letting himself get almost carried away with his attraction to Sea.

Yin tried to think of something to break the awkward silence.

"Do you do any cooking as part of your household duties?" he asked Sea.

"From time to time, yes," Sea replied. "I do it when the housekeeper in charge of cooking is unable to for any reason."

"I suggest you make tom yum soup for War," Yin said. "It's a nutritious soup that's wusually made for anyone who is recovering from some illness."

"I think that's a good idea," Sea responded. "I will suggest it to the cook this evening. I will buy the ingredients for it at the supermarket."

When Sea and Yin got back to the Ratsameerat household, Yin went to Mr. Ratsameerat to ask if he still needed his services.

"The housekeeper Elsa is having some respiratory infection right now," Mr. Ratsameerat informed Yin. "I have told her to ask Sea to do the cooking for this evening. Could you take care of bringing War's dinner to his room? You could stay for dinner. Maybe you could keep him company and have dinner with him in his room. He must be feeling bored and looking for someone to talk to. I will of course pay you for your overtime hours."

"Very well, sir," Yin said, bowing to Mr. Ratsameerat before leaving Mr. Ratsameerat's study.

Yin went to the kitchen where he found Sea doing the cooking in place of Elsa.

"Mr. Ratsameerat asked me to stay for dinner," Yin informed Sea.

"That's good," Sea smiled at Yin. All of the awkwardness of earlier had disappeared. "I will try to make the dinner as delicious as I can."

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Yin asked. "I don't want to be just standing around watching you cook."

"You could help me cut up the ingredients for the tom yum soup," said Sea.

"Very well," said Yin. "By the way, Mr. Ratsameerat instructed me to bring War's dinner up to his room when it is ready."

"Sure," Sea replied. "Elsa usually takes his meals to his room whenever he is sick in bed but because Elsa has a respiratory infection at this time, it would be best that someone else does it for her."

"Mr. Ratsameerat also asked me to keep War company for dinner," Yin said, watching Sea's face closely for any reaction. "Mr. Ratsameerat thinks that War might be feeling bored and needing someone to talk to at dinnertime."

Sea did not say anything for a while. He continued mixing all the ingredients in the soup that he was preparing.

Finally, he stopped to turn off the stove and then turned to Yin.

"If that's what you were instructed to do by the boss, then you should do it," Sea said, his face expressionless.

Yin helped Sea place two bowls of tom yum soup on a dinner tray, two plates with a cup size serving each of jasmine rice and honey walnut garlic shrimp.

Yin carefully carried the tray up to War's room.

He was about to balance the tray in one hand in order to use his other hand to knock on War's room before entering when the door suddenly opened and a boy in a school uniform got ready to step out of War's room. His uniform indicated that he was in high school and his badge showed that he was a freshman.

The boy stepped aside to let Yin in.

"Looks like your dinner is here, War," the boy announced, surveying the tray.

Yin walked in with the dinner tray and  said to War, "Your father asked me to keep you company for dinner but since you already have company, I will take my leave. As you can see, there is dinner for the two of you. Enjoy your dinner."