Chapter Text
I’m not the kind of man who pushes himself forward. I can count on the thumb of my left hand just how many close friends I have. And in my work life, I’m happy to simply watch from the sidelines as others press for promotions and praise. I am content that I have a steady income, a secure apartment and that my hobbies are enough to keep me satisfied. I have always thought that if my work schedule allowed it, I would like to have a cat since they also tend to keep to themselves too. You see, I shy away from intimacy, but I am not embarrassed to say that at the age of twenty-nine and three hundred and sixty four days, I have yet to be in a relationship. In fact, tomorrow, I will become a thirty-year old virgin.
“Oi, Arthit! Have you finished that proposal yet? You know I need time to read it through and Bright-ify it before I present it to management.”
Bright Vachira, my closest, yet not wisest, colleague. He and I have shared a desk for the past four years, and while I prefer to steadily slog through my work, he’s more interested in flirting with anything with a heartbeat and helping me gain ‘experience’ by completing his share of our projects too. Which, if I’m honest, I’m perfectly happy to do, since the flip side would be having to stand up in front of a bunch of our team and actually speak about them. No, I prefer to let Bright be in the limelight, I’m more of the background artist you see miming in old films.
“So,” Bright says, sliding the folder from my fingers and beginning to leaf through it, “This is good.. oh, right, so, tomorrow is a special day for you?”
I nod hesitantly, unsure if he’s referring to presenting the proposal or if he knows that it’s my birthday.
“You know, Arthit, I’ve heard that turning thirty is a huge milestone - I mean I wouldn’t know, being a lowly twenty-eight and all - but I heard that sometimes, it can be extremely magical! Especially if, you know.. you haven’t popped your cherry yet!”
He gives me a cheeky wink and let’s his eyes stray down my neck to my chest and then even lower. I weakly bat at him with my hands, “Bright! Pack it in!”
“What?” He smirks at me and leans closer so he can whisper in my ear, “I’ve already told you, I’m an equal opportunities sort of guy! We could sort that out tonight, then you won’t be hearing voices tomorrow!”
“Hearing voices?” I ask, unsure what he is referring to.
“Yeah, you know, that old folklore tale about the thirty year old virgin who started hearing people’s inner thoughts because he was so desperate to bang someone at last?!”
My heartbeat quickens at his words - Bright might be a bit of an idiot, but he has a deep set belief in the supernatural and all that comes with it and he’s even claimed to have seen a ghost floating around on the roof of our offices. To be fair, he had looked pretty shaken when he’d come down from having a sneaky snog with one of the interns, but I’d always assumed they’d been caught by one of the senior’s - Kongpob perhaps, he has that kind of aura to scare you if you were caught doing something wrong.
And speaking of Kongpob, the nicest and most handsome man in our office chooses that exact moment to slide himself into the chair on my other side and then lean into my space to talk to Bright.
It’s not like I haven’t been through this before, Kongpob has this habit of dropping by my desk when I least expect him, to discuss this proposal or that, and even when he is mostly talking to Bright, he always takes the seat beside me. So I’m used to being enveloped in his musky scent. And while I’m aware that his choice of seat is mostly down to the smell of stewed cabbage that the unkempt man who sits beside Bright gives off, I sometimes pretend that Kongpob does it just to be close to me.
“I’ve decided we should go with the black and white design for the next product launch,” Kongpob insists and I nod as though I have a clue what they’re referring to. Unfortunately, Kongpob seems to think that I do know all about it and directs his next question to me, “What do you think Arthit? Do you think a more sleek and modern look will be more popular than the traditional design?”
Kongpob fills my senses entirely: his voice in my ears, his scent in my nose, his eyes shining brightly into mine! It’s too much for a shy person like me, and I’m grateful that Bright senses the panic, standing and pulling Kongpob away with him.
As they leave, I see the little, querying look Kongpob shoots my way, but I choose to ignore it, focusing on returning my breathing to normal as I go back to my open documents.
But that doesn’t mean I don’t watch Kongpob’s progress across the office, out of the corner of my eye, and as usual he is followed by a gaggle of the female staff all clamouring for his attention.
The day he started at the company, I wasn’t the only one who noticed him. He was fresh out of graduate school with a bright smile and perfectly teased hair. I knew straight away that he was going to be popular with our seniors, I just didn’t know how popular. From the very first moment, he was destined for great things - management took notice of him and saw him as a rising star, as did the female half of our staff.
I’ve never seen someone receive so many confessions, presents, cards and numbers as Kongpob did - still does to be honest. But the thing is, he was so calm and kind to everyone, rejecting them all equally. Which was an eye-opener to me having never received a confession myself before. I just didn’t understand how anyone had the confidence to refuse all those girls. Unless of course, he already had a partner at home although he denied it outright when asked.
Anyway, he’d never been anything but kind to me, always trying to include me in his conversations, despite my propensity to be shy. So really, I see Kongpob as someone to look up to and to aspire to be like, even if I’ll never achieve half of what he has.
The next day, I awaken to a text from my mother wishing me many happy returns. And later, when I reach the office, another from my best friend, Adachi, which merely includes a picture of a man falling into a coffin and the lid closing, the words ‘You’re Old’ flashing on the animation.
It’s so Adachi, that I can’t control my laughter, even though I barely ever laugh at work.
He should laugh more often, it’s sweet.
I whip my head round to see Praepaillin headed for her own desk and wonder why she used the third person instead of speaking to me. But before I can even stand from my seat, Bright barrels into his own and thrusts a package at me.
“Happy Birthday, Arthit! I got you something very useful for when you start hearing things!”
Knowing Bright, this is not a present I want to open in public. So I just grin at him as I reach over, intending to drop it into my bag to open later.
Arthit is definitely cute, no wonder Prae’s been watching him lately. But he’s so shy.. oooo is that chocolate?
I stare in horror at my colleague and drop his package like it’s a hot sweet potato.
“What did you say?” I ask desperately.
“I said, it’s going to be a very useful gift, idiot! Now are those chocolates or not?”
Bright is pointing at a small wrapped package on my keyboard which definitely wasn’t there when I left last night.
I pick it up and check for a label, but there isn’t one, just a hot pink post-it note that says HBD.
Although I glance around the office as nonchalantly as I can, no-one seems to be looking my way or taking a great interest as I hold the package in my hand.
It is indeed chocolate, and more so, it’s my favourite type - those decadent truffles that have more caramel than chocolate really. I adore them, but on my salary they are a rare treat.
Who on Earth would know to gift me these?
Feeling quite shaken, I stuff the box into my backpack, along with Bright’s gift, to deal with later.
“You’re not opening it?” Bright asks, face falling into something that involves a very pouty lip. But then Prae is beside us, slipping a handful of wrapped sweets onto my desk, “For you, Arthit, Bright told me it’s your birthday. Best wishes for the day!”
The day is almost for hours old and I have forgotten the strange occurrence this morning, when Kongpob drops into the chair beside me and slides an energy drink, of the variety I like the best, at my elbow. “You look tired, Arthit. Perhaps this will help?”
As I reach to pick it up, his elbow casually rests against my own and I startle as I hear it, I wish I could wish him a Happy Birthday, but I don’t think he wants us to make a fuss. Which is a shame because..
I yank my elbow back, startling the other man who draws himself to his full height in his chair.
“Sorry, do you not like this one, I thought..”
“No, no. I do. Thank you, I just.. Uhh, probably need it more than I thought!”
“Here,” he says, reaching to take the bottle.
He looks so cute when he blushes like that.
And opens it, handing it back over.
As he does, I make sure that my fingers do not come into contact with his. Whatever is happening in my head right now, it seems to be worse when I touch someone.
I gulp it down and feel his eyes on me, watching with a hint of worry in them. Kongpob has never really paid me as much attention as this and it feels like there’s heat spreading from my belly outwards as he watches.
The thought alone, makes me choke and I feel a hand thump against my back.
What’s..on..never...this?
I pull back in surprise! There’s definitely something wrong.
And then Bright’s words from the day before drop into my head.
I’m thirty. I’m a virgin. Can I hear voices? Or worse, can I hear people’s private thoughts?