Rule No. 1: Don’t be too emotional : Chapter 2

Just so you know I shouldn’t reply you back in that day.

Shouldn’t be seduced by your smile and those eyes.

Should never ever think for a second that maybe you’re a good guy.

Cause those things never fade away from my mind.

And that’s a lie. That’s a lie….

Throughout the entire week, no topic was hotter among the students than the scandal surrounding Thee, who had now been officially expelled. It turned out that Thee really had embezzled funds from the Volunteer Club and secretly lobbied the Student Union’s budget for his personal use-a practice he’d apparently started since his freshman year.

Furthermore, another truth came to light: Thee wasn’t actually the son of a millionaire from Korat as we had all believed. It was all a facade he’d built to deceive everyone. He had been living a high-life on the club’s dime all along. No one knew how the secret got out, but from what I saw, most people didn’t pity him at all.

If anything, they were gloating. It made me feel a bit conflicted; after all, I was his friend. He had even tutored me until I got an ‘A, ‘ and we shared many memories. I couldn’t help but feel depressed and sympathetic toward him, even though I knew he was truly in the wrong. Gap felt the same. We didn’t know what possessed him to do something so reckless.

As for the statutory rape charge… we always knew he had a girlfriend because he didn’t hide it, but we just never imagined the girl was only in her second year of middle school.

“Still thinking about Thee?” Gap asked me, likely because he’d seen me letting out sigh after heavy sigh in the library, unable to focus on my books.

I nodded.

“Yeah. Don’t take this the wrong way, but he’s still my friend. I can’t help but feel bad for him.”

“Me too. But my dad told me to stay away so I don’t get dragged into the mess. This embezzlement case is no small thing. The police are already wondering if he acted alone or had accomplices.”

“Sigh… how did it come to this? And he’d been doing it for so long, why did he suddenly get caught now?” Gap shrugged.

“Who knows? Maybe ‘Heaven has eyes, ‘ or maybe he just got sloppy. It’s usually one of the two.”

“Are you hiding anything from me? You have to tell me, Gap. Don’t let me get shocked like this again.”

“You bastard, what would I hide? You’ve slept over at my house. Aside from having Gear, who looks exactly like me, there’s nothing else interesting in my life.”

“Hah, way to put it… ”

“What about you? You hiding anything from me, Jane?”

“In your dreams.” I bared my teeth at him before sighing again.” This Thee business really makes us paranoid of each other.”

“Well, it’s a huge deal. Who would’ve thought someone so ‘perfect’ would have such a dark background? It means he lied about everything. Nothing was real.”

“Yeah… except the part where he’s actually smart.”

“True. By the way, Jane, have you started the Abnormal Psychology class yet?”

“Not at all.” I shook my head.

“The professor canceled the first two classes for a conference abroad, and then I was sick for the next two weeks. Today will be my first time attending.”

“Whoa, with two classes canceled, the makeup sessions are going to be brutal.”

“Tell me about it. And it means they’ve already had four sessions. I’ll be spinning my wheels trying to catch up. I have to show my medical certificate to the professor first, otherwise, I won’t be allowed to take the exam.”

“Hurry up and submit it. But Abnormal is fun; I took it last term and really liked it, so I recommended it.”

“Even without your recommendation, plenty of others have told me. It’s a shame I couldn’t register in time last term, otherwise we’d be in the same class.” Abnormal Psychology-or just “Abnormal” as students called it-wasn’t a required course for my major. It was an elective for Business students like us. You could take it whenever you wanted, but it was incredibly popular. Every semester, seats filled up in the blink of an eye. Last term I missed out, but Namkhing, Sherry, and Gap managed to get in. They all offered to drop the course to wait and take it with me, but I told them it was fine and they should just go ahead.

“Jane, you’re not going to be sulky again later, are you? Getting annoyed that we finished the class without you, leaving you to study alone?”

“What? I’m the one who told you guys not to drop it. Why would I be sulky? I’m not that sensitive.”

“I saw you roll your eyes, Gap!”

“Okay, okay! You’re not sensitive, you’re not sensitive.” Gap waved his hands at me as I glared at him.

“So why are you still sitting here?”

“Huh?”

“Isn’t Abnormal at 4: 00 PM this term?” Gap gestured toward the library clock.

“It’s already 4: 07.”

“SHIT!”

“Run, Jane! Don’t forget the medical certificate, or you’re getting an ‘F’ for sure!”

“Yeah, yeah! See you tomorrow!” I scrambled to pack my things, my mind having been so occupied by Thee that I’d completely lost track of time. Gap waved as he flipped to the next page of his notes.” Later, bye.” By the time I reached the classroom, it was 4: 12 PM. Dead. I’d already missed several classes and now I was showing up late. I hurried inside, offered a wai to the professor at the front, and hunched over to find a seat in the back as quickly as possible.

“Hey, Jane.”

“Oh, you’re in this class too, Reuk?” I greeted my classmate who nudged me from the left. I felt a surge of relief seeing a familiar face.

“Man, I’m so glad to see you. I thought I was the only sophomore in this class.”

“What? No other sophomores besides us?” I asked, surprised.

“Nope. They couldn’t register in time. The upperclassmen snatched all the seats. And you were sick, so you haven’t been here. I was so depressed, sitting here alone not knowing anyone.”

“Aw… well, I’m here now. We’ll sit together from now on. Studying alone is lonely.”

“Okay, now it’s already quarter past four.” The young professor spoke as the minute hand hit 4: 15-the absolute latest a student could enter. Any later would count as an absence.

“I will begin checking attendance.” She clicked open the student list on the big screen and spoke into the mic.

“As I told you, I really have a problem remembering these long Thai names, so I’m gonna call you guys by your nicknames as I always did. Start with Jeans.” Professor Samantha started calling out the seniors first. The list was sorted by student ID, from the highest year to the lowest.

“Yes.”

“Moss.”

“I’m here.” She called out a few more names.

I sat there daydreaming, knowing it would be a while before she got to me. I was a sophomore, and since no freshmen made the cut, my name would be at the very bottom.

“Jane.”

“Yes!/ Present!” The whole room was confused as more than one voice answered at once. I was stunned to see another hand raised in the second row. Professor Samantha looked up from her screen, and I froze as the man turned around to look at me in the back row. My breath hitched. The world felt like it stopped for a split second as our eyes met-those pitch-black eyes again. Then, the professor’s voice over the mic brought me back to reality.

“You are Jenalee, who has been ill for the past two weeks, right?”” Yes… ”

“Don’t worry. I have already heard from another professor. You can still be in my class.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Okay, so we have two Janes right here… ” Though she was speaking into the mic, it felt more like she was muttering to herself. Her slender fingers clicked to the bottom of the Excel file and typed my nickname in parentheses. Jane…

“Wonderful. I will continue checking names. Sam.”

“Present.” It was true. There were two Janes. I knew “P’Jane” was a senior, but I never knew he was also in Business Administration. I never expected us to end up in the same class either-especially right after hearing those legendary stories about him. Like I said, I didn’t believe all of it. I thought it was a bit over the top, even if the story about P’Dan’s dad’s car seemed true. It could have just been a normal transaction. But still, there was one part of the rumors that couldn’t be denied. That P’Jane really did radiate a dangerous aura. I barely caught half of what the professor taught. Most of it went in one ear and out the other because my mind was busy processing the “other” Jane while I sat there staring at his back. My hand held a pen, but I barely took any notes. I admit it: I wanted to know more about him. Usually, I’m not a nosy person, but maybe it was because he shared my name. That was the first reason I was interested. It might seem like a small thing, but it was significant-it’s not often I meet another guy named Jane. As for the second reason? Well, he was just… interesting. Not in that way, but I wanted to clear up what was true and what wasn’t. I wanted to find out what was hidden behind those dark eyes and that smirking smile…

“Okay. I will give an assignment. We are going to do a Movie Character Analysis based on what I taught all of you.” Professor Samantha explained the task: analyze a movie character’s psychological abnormalities or mental health issues. It could be a specific disorder or just symptoms. It was to be done in pairs. Reuk and I immediately started writing our names at the top of the paper.

“No, no! We will do a lucky draw. I want everybody to make new friends, not just stick in your old group since we are now in psychology class. So you can study about your new friends as well.”

“Dammit, so we have to split up,” Reuk said .

I nodded, feeling annoyed. We were just about to pick a movie. The professor had half the students (including me, as I was in the back half) tear off a piece of paper, write our names, and fold them. She walked around with a coffee mug for us to drop our names in, closed the lid, and shook it. Then, she let a junior in the front row pick first.

“May! Oh, I’m so happy we’re partners! What a coincidence!” Lucky her, I thought. She got her own friend. The people in the front kept picking while I used the time to scramble and copy notes from Reuk, afraid that if I got paired with a senior and had zero knowledge, I’d be looked down upon. Until my name was called.

“Jane.” I looked up instantly…. No way.

“Oh. Jane got Jane,” the professor exclaimed, as surprised as everyone else.

“Such a coincidence!” For God’s sake…

“Jenalee, move over to Jane quickly. So you guys can start the assignment.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I packed my pencil case, folded my notebook, and walked up to sit at the lecture desk next to the other Jane. Suddenly, I felt my heart racing and my palms sweating. Even though we had met by chance before… twice… okay, three times… we had never actually had a real conversation. What was I supposed to do? Should I speak first since I was the junior?

“Hello, Nong Jane.” I jumped when he unexpectedly spoke first. He even gave me a sweet, harmless smile. His eyes curved into crescents. Both his voice and body language were friendly. Then, he said something that shocked me again.

“It’s our first time talking, right? I retrieved the ball for you once, remember?”

“Uh, yes. I remember.” God, I don’t know how to act. I really didn’t expect him to be this friendly. I thought he’d be the brooding, scary type.

“So, how was it? Did you win that day?”

“O-oh, yes, we won,” I answered honestly, though my brain was still playing catch-up. I felt like a total idiot.

“So, what’s the plan? Which movie should we pick? Any in mind?”” I haven’t picked yet, P’Jane. But I was thinking about Alice from Alice in Wonderland.” He smiled , his dark eyes sparkling.

He had beautiful eyes.

“That’s interesting. Let’s keep it as an option.” P’Jane noted the movie in his notebook. His handwriting was tidy but had a certain flourish. I noticed he used cursive.

“But let’s not do Hannibal Lecter. I bet everyone else will pick him. We’ll be compared too much and the grading will be too competitive.”

“True. I think so too. Just now when I was with my friend, I saw two groups in the front already choose Hannibal.” Hannibal Lecter is one of the most iconic psychological characters in Hollywood history. He’s basically the gold standard, and the info is easy to find.

“Any other ideas, Nong Jane? I’ll list them first and we can narrow it down.”

“Well, right now I can think of Split,” I said, tapping my cheek as l searched my brain.

“Hmm, but that one is very obvious-he has Dissociative Identity Disorder. It might be hard to find other angles to present. But I’ll jot it down for now.”

“Yeah, I’m just brainstorming. I’ll have to look for more info because Split got a lot of flak from actual psychiatrists and patients for being inaccurate.” We sat there listing characters and movies until the end of the hour, discussing which character had what traits. I was surprised at how easily we clicked. I really thought he’d be terrifying, but he was actually a perfectly nice, normal person. I felt incredibly guilty for having judged him based on those baseless rumors and his look. It goes to show: Don’t judge a book by its cover. Besides that, P’Jane barely let me write anything. He volunteered to take all the notes and even organized them into neat bullet points. I was so happy he was my partner I could cry. This assignment was worth 15% of the total grade. In my life as a student, I’ve found that having group mates who are lazy, quiet, or just hitch a ride for the grade is the most tragic thing ever.

“Okay, we have seven options now. Let’s go do some research and then we can decide which one to go with,” P’Jane concluded, counting on his fingers. I nodded.

“Sounds good, P’Jane.”

“Can I have your Line and Gmail? Once I start the Google Doc, I’ll share it with you.”

“Sure! Here, use your phone.” He handed me his iPhone. I added my Line ID and typed my Gmail into the chat. I was starting to see a bright future for this “Abnormal” class.

“Nong Jane, send me your class schedule too. I need to know when our free times overlap so we can schedule a time to get this finished.”

“Oh, okay.” He’s in a hurry, I thought. The deadline is ages away.

“Sorry, I’m a senior. I have a lot of work, so I figured it’s better to finish whatever I can early so it doesn’t pile up near midterms.”

“Ah, right. I forgot you’re a senior. I was wondering why the rush.”” You don’t mind that I want to finish early, do you?” He looked me in the eye, his gaze almost pleading and slightly apologetic-the kind of look someone gives when they want to show they’re inconvenienced too but have no choice.

“Not at all! It’s actually better. Just let me know when you’re free. I already sent my schedule on Line.” His large hand picked up the iPhone. He glanced at it, tucked it into his pocket, and turned to me with a smile.

“Don’t stress, Nong Jane. Work with me and you’re guaranteed an ‘A’.” Actually… this Jane… He wasn’t bad at all. I’d completely forgotten my worries about P’Jane. After that, whenever we crossed paths, he would wave and greet me in the friendliest way (even when he was surrounded by his scary-looking friends). I’d offer a wai in return. We weren’t exactly “close,” but he was no longer a mysterious stranger to me. He was just a normal student. That “Soul Hunter” nickname was absolute nonsense. And now, we were sitting across from each other at Starbucks, both working on our parts. Occasionally, we’d look up to exchange ideas about the project. We didn’t expect to finish today, but we hoped for some solid progress. I stole a glance at the senior in front of me to take a break after typing a page. P’Jane was wearing glasses today. I hadn’t known he had vision problems until now. I didn’t know if he was nearsighted or had an astigmatism, or both, but they suited him. They made him look a bit more mature-a clear “adult charm” that was different from when he was in his student uniform. He was wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt with white stripes and jeans. His outfit made me, in my t-shirt, gym shorts, and flip-flops, feel quite embarrassed. Next time, I’ll dress much better. I just didn’t think a Sunday study session required much effort; usually, friends are all in the same state. But P’Jane really did look good. Every woman who walked into the shop turned to look at him. A handsome guy looks good in anything. Plus, he was tall and fit-I was jealous. I prefer a lean but muscular build like that over a “bulk” physique, which looks too thick and scary.

“Something up, Nong Jane?” he asked, his fingers still flying across the keyboard.”… Uh, what?”

“You’re staring at my face.”

“How did you know!?”

“I saw the reflection in this.” He pointed to his phone next to him without taking his eyes off his laptop. I felt my face flush hot at being caught red-handed.

“So? Is there something?”

“No, nothing. I just… I’ve never seen you wear glasses before. I was wondering if you were nearsighted or had an astigmatism.” We’d gotten closer enough that I’d started referring to myself by my name when talking to him. Sometimes the sentences got confusing-this Jane and that Jane. Luckily, he was “P’Jane” and I was just “Jane.” He gave a small smirk but stayed focused on his screen.

“Just a slight astigmatism. Only 70 in each eye. I don’t really have to wear them, but they help me not to strain when reading. So l only wear them for work like this.”

“Oh… so you can work longer.”

“Is that all?”

“Well… I’m also embarrassed because I dressed so ‘chill.’ I feel like I’m being disrespectful.”

“Don’t overthink it. I have an errand after this, so I dressed up for that. If it were just for work, I usually don’t look much different from you.”

“Oh.”

“Is that everything?”

“Yes.”

“You sure like to look at me.”

“Hey! You were the one who looked at me first!” The sentence slipped out, making him look up from his computer immediately. I bit my lip hard, realizing l had blurted it out. I quickly lowered my head and started typing furiously.

“I did?” “… ”

“Nong Jane.”

“Hmm?” I nodded, knowing I couldn’t dodge him by pretending I didn’t hear. P’Jane rested his chin on his hand and asked: “Today? When?”

“Huh?”

“No, not today.” He raised an eyebrow, still smiling slightly.

“That day… at the football field.” What I said made his smile widen… but only a little. He didn’t say anything else. I took the opportunity to type like a madman, as if the keys were going to fly off. P’Jane didn’t press me further. I felt him watching me for another moment before he went back to his own section on Google Docs. I rubbed my hands together because the AC was blowing directly on me, then rubbed my arms. God, does this branch want to chase the customers away? I was so cold my bones ached. My hands were getting stiff and I could barely type. Plus, my t-shirt and gym shorts were designed for heat-meaning they provided zero protection against the cold.

“Here, take it.” P’Jane-who I could have sworn hadn’t looked at me once-tossed his jacket across the table to me. I was shocked.

“How did you know I was cold?”

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out, seeing you rubbing yourself like that,” he said, his eyes still scanning the text on his screen.

“But you weren’t even looking at me! And you put your iPhone in your pocket already.” The corner of his mouth curled up. There it is again… that smile.

“I’m just good.”

“Come on, P’Jane. Tell me. Don’t leave me hanging.”

“Stop prying. Just put it on before you freeze to death.”

“But I feel bad… ”

“Just wear it. It’s like the North Pole in here. That ‘free with a bucket of paint’ t-shirt isn’t going to do anything against this cold.”

“P’Jane!” Because of his blunt words, I quickly threw the jacket on, embarrassed that he could tell it was a promotional t-shirt. The scent of P’Jane’s cologne wafted up to my nose the moment I put it on. It was a subtle scent that smelled very “expensive.” What brand is this? I really wanted to know. It was the kind of scent that made you think the wearer must be a very sexy man.

“P’Jane?”

“Yes, Nong Jane?” He didn’t look up, as usual.

“What is your real name? I need to type it on the cover page.” I saw that he hadn’t entered his full name and student ID yet, probably busy with other parts.

“It’s just Jane.”

“Huh?”

“Yes. Just Jane.”

“That’s weird… usually the name ‘Jane’ is a nickname for something else, right? For women, it’s Janjira or Jansuda. For men, it’s Jane- rob, Jane-job, or Jane-anun… something like that.” I mused to myself.

“Even mine is Jenalee.”

“My parents just named me Jane. Let’s just leave the cover page for now. I’ll type my last name myself later. You can do the decorating after.”

“Okay.”

“Does the jacket fit? Is it too long?” He finally looked up at me and scanned my body. I nodded. Has anyone ever told him his eyes are like lasers? So sharp… even behind glasses. Being looked at by him made me jump.

“It fits okay.”

“No, it doesn’t. The sleeves are past your hands. Give me your arm.”” What?” P’Jane didn’t wait for me to stop being confused. He pulled my arm toward him and laid my palm flat on the table. Then, he rolled the sleeve up three times. Once the left side was done, he moved to the right. He spoke as he folded: “Why do I have to do this for you? Aren’t we both guys?”

“Hey, I didn’t ask you to!” Wait, he’s smiling again. He was such a weird senior. He clearly liked teasing me.

“There. All done.” I lifted both arms to compare. They were perfectly symmetrical. God, not only does he have laser eyes, he must have ruler eyes too. This was impressive. And he said he had an astigmatism? After that, P’Jane went back to work. I did too. I caught myself smiling. I was happy that someone was paying attention to me. Friends and family always say I’m sensitive and overthink things-that I take every little thing to heart. Even if I deny it, I know deep down what kind of person I am. When something bad happens, I break down longer than anyone else. I dwell on things and can’t let go. My mom always tells me that if I keep going like this, I’ll have a hard time in the future. But all that also means that when someone is kind to me, it touches me more than it would most people. Especially small, thoughtful gestures like this. I went back into Google Docs and finished another paragraph, then hit enter and started typing some nonsense, planning to delete it later. > Thank you P’Jane! I’m so touched I could cry. TTOTT You’re a lot nicer than I thought! I’m so happy! I love P’Jane already! Wow, what a guy-handsome and kind! @# $% ^&()_ > My phone started vibrating on the table. I took my hands off the keys and answered.

“What’s up, Putt?”

[Dude, I just saw Thee. ]

“Thee? Where?!” I covered my mouth with my hand, realizing I was being too loud. Even P’Jane looked up at me.

[… At the court, man. I found out last minute from Mix that the court was giving the verdict today. I didn’t tell you earlier because we were in such a rush. ]

“Wait, the court already? Why was it so fast? Are you guys going in to hear the verdict now?”

[No… the verdict is already out. ]

“What… what was the result?” Putt took a deep breath while my heart hammered. Then, he spoke:

[A twenty-thousand baht fine. And four years in prison. ]

“What!? Why? Why prison? Couldn’t they settle? Wasn’t there a negotiation phase? He and that girl were in love! She was consensual!”

[By law, even if she consents, it’s still a crime, Jane. The girl is only thirteen. She’s not even fifteen yet. Statutory rape is a criminal offense; you can’t drop the charges or settle. This is much heavier than embezzling university money. And Thee’s family doesn’t have the money to hire a top lawyer to fight the case.

“But… usually there’s a suspended sentence or something first, right? Why is everything happening so fast?”

I don’t know. I was thinking the same thing-everything is moving so fast. But the court’s word is final. They’ve already taken him into custody.

“Putt… what about Thee’s future… ?” Putt sighed .

[There’s nothing we can do, Jane. To each his own karma. I just came because I wanted him to know that no matter what happened, I still see him as a friend. I just called to tell you the news. I’m gonna hang up now.

“Yeah, okay.” I hung up with a heavy, indescribable feeling. Suddenly, the happiness I’d felt since the morning vanished. I knew my friend was wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel depressed. Oh, Thee… why did it have to be like this? Who would have known that the guy with the brightest future in our year would end up like this today? Just a few days ago, we were eating and playing football together. Today, he’s going to live in prison.

“Is it about the Student Union President?” P’Jane’s voice called me back from my dark thoughts. I sat up straight and nodded. It wasn’t surprising that P’Jane knew too; like I said, the scandal was massive.

“Yes. It’s about Thee.”

“How is it going?” He looked into my eyes as he asked, seemingly waiting for the answer.

“It’s… not good at all. He was sentenced to four years in prison.” P’Jane nodded as if acknowledging the information. Then, he went back to typing, seemingly losing all interest in Thee’s story. Meanwhile, I still couldn’t pull myself out of the emotion.

“I feel so bad for him, P’Jane. It shouldn’t have turned out like this.”

“Are you very close with the President?” P’Jane used his left hand to push up his glasses while his right hand moved the mouse. He kept looking at the laptop screen, making it clear that our project was more important than the topic we were discussing. Still, he was polite enough to talk to me.

“Pretty close. He was wrong, that’s true, but a person isn’t 100% bad. At least Thee was always good to me. Do I sound like I’m taking a friend’s side unfairly?” I took a sip of my iced coffee and sighed again.

“Sigh… but how did he get caught? He’d been doing it for so long.”” Maybe Heaven has eyes.” I wasn’t looking at P’Jane’s face, so I didn’t know what expression he had when he said that.

“I just pity him, P’. Maybe it’s because he’s a friend, but I feel so angry at whoever reported him to the police. This is a person’s whole future. There should have been a better way to talk it out.”

“So you’re saying the person who reported him is wrong?” P’Jane asked.

“If a person doesn’t have secrets to hide, no one can do anything to them anyway. Right?”

“I guess so… ” P’Jane copied some info from the internet into our file and added quotation marks.

“Because of that, in this case, I don’t feel pity. I think he did it to himself.” What P’Jane said sounded cold, but it was the absolute truth. Part of it was likely because he didn’t know Thee like I did, so he didn’t share the emotion. But as he said, if Thee hadn’t embezzled and hadn’t slept with a minor, no one could have touched him.

“But still… I don’t know. I tried to connect the events and everything feels weird, P’Jane. It’s like Thee was specifically targeted. Like he accidentally pulled a tiger’s whiskers and got taken out. Bam! Dead.” A smirk appeared on his curved lips. I assumed he was laughing at the sound effect I made, since there was no other reason.

“Maybe… it might have been a very big tiger.”

“Why do you like to smirk like that, P’Jane?”

“Smirk how?” he asked without pausing from typing references.

“Like… that. Like the psychopathic villains in movies. I don’t know, it’s a bit creepy. Like… you’re intimidating people. Has anyone ever told you?”

“Never.”

“Liar. See, that smile makes it even more obvious. Actually, you’re a decent guy, but whenever you smile like that, you look… evil. Like a total bastard.”

“Is that a mouth, Nong Jane? You want to experience blacking out while sitting there?”

“Hehe, not really… Oh, P’Jane, I have to pee. Going to the bathroom for a sec. Watch my computer, please.” I told him after stretching to ease the stiffness. P’Jane nodded.

“Sure. Go ahead. We’re close enough for you to trust me with your stuff now, huh?” he said, finally looking up for that last sentence.

“Hmph, you sure are sarcastic. I’m at your mercy, P’Jane!” I gave him a cheeky wai and a mock curtsy, then bolted out of the shop (no way I was waiting for him to kick me). I went to the bathroom and came back quickly. I’d barely sat down when P’Jane closed his laptop, packed it into his bag, and stood up.

“It’s 4: 30. I have to go, Nong Jane. Important errand. I can’t be late. Are you going home now? I can drop you off.”

“Oh, it’s fine, P’. You go ahead. I think I’Il sit and work a bit more. I’m in the zone now. At least I want to finish this part.” He checked his watch and nodded, then looked up and smiled at me.

“Then I’m off. If there’s anywhere you want me to check, just highlight it in yellow.”

“Yes, sir! You can count on this Jane!” P’Jane gave my head a light flick for the sarcastic tone-probably settling the score for my mock curtsy earlier. Then he spoke quickly while pointing a finger at me as a reminder: “Take care of my jacket.” Then he left the shop quickly-so fast I barely had time to wai him goodbye. I went to order an egg sandwich at the counter and came back to my seat. I tapped the spacebar twice to wake up the screen, and I nearly spit my water out at what I saw. > Thank you P’Jane! I’m so touched I could cry. TTOTT You’re a lot nicer than I thought! I’m so happy! I love P’Jane already! Wow, what a guy-handsome and kind! @# $% ^&()_ > You’re welcome 🙂 You’re welcome… Where did that You’re welcome and smiley face come from… ? You idiot, Jane… how could you forget that Google Docs shows everything in real-time?!