260707 0804
Tanabata!!
Is it the day for long lost lovers to reunite?
We ran a campaign. Not very successful, but, we do attract the most defiant usernames.
One download… I mean, yay?
I hope our followers won’t get bored. I hope they’re friendly. I hope they’re not just outwardly friendly and secretly manipulative like the real life ones.
P/s: Three classes a day a day is our limit. More and we’re useless.
0828
Kyon bites into the thicc mochi burger.
Kyon’s self-narration:
K: Wow! I’m fighting with my Kyon! My inner Kyon!
Cantor is nearby. He reads Kyon’s heart as perfectly calm until he looks at it.
C: I don’t see any scuffle?
K: Yeah! I’m fighting WITH it! Like a bro!
0847
Kyon continues to narrate. It was this habit that got us caught by the bullies.
K: This thingy spoiled our student about the Norway-Brazil match! Thanks a lot, Bings News!
News: My name is not Binh!
K: Sure you don’t. *twirls moustache* Every Binh says so…
1219
Cantor steps out of the dressing room.
C: Am I me?
Kyonmittee: Yessss.
Cantor changes into a rosy pink dress.
C: Am I still me?
KM: Yes.
Carrie but Sleeping Beauty dress.
KM: Yes.
With a clown nose.
KM: Yes.
1860s Londonian suit.
KM: Yes.
Wife beater, sweatpants and sandals.
KM: Yes.
Bottle of soy sauce.
C: Still me?
KM: Yesss.
C: Wow. There are a lot of ways to be me.
KM: Exactly!
K: No matter what you wear, you’re still you.
C: Doesn’t that sound a bit reductive?
K: Nooo!
A while later, Kyon therapates themself again with Lav as a habit.
K: My Gay *left hand sock puppet*. My Trans *right hand sock puppet*. They mwah mwah mwah mwah mwah *acts out*.
L: Okay Kyon, calm down. Woah. That’s very evocative. I’m afraid we cannot continue if you harbor romantic feelings for me.
K: WAIT!!! They are MY gayness and MY transness! Not yours!
L: I’m also gay and trans.
K: Oh.
…So do you also face the same prob–
L: I think I’m gonna stop being your therapist…
K: Oh no!
L: *puts sunglasses on* and start being your housewife!
K: *claps at 168 bpm* Yayyyy!!!!!
But will you still therapate me once in a while?
L: Sure, Kyon. It’s in my job description.
1232
K: Part of me wants this, but part of me is scared.
Over at Kyon’s gunpoint is Cantor shivering.
K: *drinks cream straight from the bottle*
C: *under his breath* oh my ungod what did you just do?!? we have a lesson! we can’t afford to be stuck in the bathroom!
K: See?
1413
Lav is a menace. She doesn’t cook with weak, flailing, heart-laden aprons like FredeCantor’s. She cooks raw. With an old shirt on.
1604
Kyon has drafted the newest candlelit forbidden romance manosphere where Kyon is the king and bard of the town simultaneously, Lav the wife of the bard who bakes bread at the church for a living, Cantor the duke, and Fred the king’s head knight.
Kyon worldbuilds as a leisurely sport, like golf.
K: The society is homophobic just because I want gay scandalous candlelit romance. There are royal laws spoken and written to enforce this. According to the king’s law everybody must practice homophobia just because gay sex is hot. If you don’t ban them and they’re too free, they’ll start getting kinky. And we can’t afford any tools because we only have 10 dollars to stretch for the entire month.
F: Ten dollars? But my liege, was that human anatomy course really necessary?
K: Yes! And we need an extra 3 dollars aside from the base fee for an outing to the morgue!
F: But sir, what about food?
K: Food can be negotiated.
C: Mixue can. Food cannot.
F: You even promised the kids a Steam gift card!
K: I know. With two scholarships up to 3 dollars per game, we can afford it!
F: ONE. DOLLAR. LEFT.
K: You got a problem? Go drink cream.
2001
K: [She’s meditating. Weirdo. Tryna be a role model to me?]
C: Please respect her needs.
K: I don’t need to. I’m just here for the air. You know what? Maybe we could go to bed early for today…
C: …That’s a good idea, actually. Your needs are our needs too.
K: Why the sudden courtesy?
C: Courtesy? Sudden? I think I’m deep in character again. *straightens suit* Sorry.
K: No need to. You’re great! I’m– I’m not gonna raise any death flags, am I?
C: Just say it. *smiles*
K: Ookay. I’m glad to have you as my best friend!
C: Best friend? I’m delighted!
K: No, I mean, my alterego!
C: So no best friend then?
K: Yes best friend!!
C: What about Lav?
K: Best wife!
C: Ah, right.
K: Is Frederick your best friend, then?
C: Yes. Yes he is.
K: Aw man!
C: What?
K: I’m sorry. Now it’s me who’s saying sorry! I’ve been pushing your ship all along! I should be happy! Is this that kind of… *shimmer* that kind of trope again? Hoo, hoo, hoo…
Kyon cries.
C: Now, don’t be! You’ve always been a little polyromantic.
K: Right. And you too?
C: No, I’m not. I think…?
K: But I don’t want that trope!
C: Me neither. Same.
…
K: I wouldn’t want to miss your phone calls, though.
C: It’s okay. I’m not going anywhere soon.
K: Just like the end of that fanfic, hah?
We chuckle for a bit.
C: Hah. Even the slightest bit of paranoia gets inflated. Kyon, at this rate, they’re gonna think you really love me.
K: I do! As a friend!
C: As a lover, I mean.
K: I don’t wanna!!
C: Like they say… there are many kinds of attraction!
We lie down on the grassy field.
C: Hah. Funny how that goes. “They”. The ones who shun us, the ones who love us, and even ourselves. All wrapped into a neat four-letter word.
K: Hmm.
I wonder…
…
But I’m glad I got to say it aloud.
I wonder if Lav would be mad.
L: Nope!
K: Lav?! *blushes*
L: Sorry to interrupt in a timely way. But, it’s not unexpected in such close relationships. You do get confused. And even if your heart is right and true that way, you would still feel repercussions.
K: So, by Momy meditating next to us… we are also meditating, ourselves?
L, C: Yes.
K: Hmph. Thank you, Momybirdy.
We keep gazing at the stars.
F: Hey! Mind if I join the fun?
C: I’ve been waiting for you. Come.
Cantor catches Frederick by the waist.
C: You’re staying next to me.
2148
Kyon’s ears perk up.
K: Is this probably just delayed dad crying at daughter’s aisle?
C: You know what…? That actually makes sense!
K: Heh. Strange! I’ve never felt that before! Probably I’ve never HAD to hand over my daughter to anyone.
Lav with a gun: Hand over now, Kyon.
K: Lav!!! Who do you want?
L: *whom. YOU.
K: *gasp!!!*
C: Homoerotic tension.
F: *nods along with a late night diluted coffee* Homoerotic tension. Wait, THIS!?!
K: Son of a brick! This is why I don’t trust initial judgements!!!
260708 0932
C, narration: A work call interrupted us, preventing us from writing. No problem. No pressure. It’s his turn.
F: Right, if I may begin. *shuffles documents*
C: He was so excited to write this down. He even asked to write it himself.
Cantor displays a memory.
***
Kyon was there, swinging the pen.
K: I shouldn’t be writing this. You write it!
Kyon, with a smile, was going to hand over the ultimate editing power to me. Technically, this means that I could change, remove, and replace any memory we’ve written down, just like how Kyon wiped away the 132 logs of the old era. (From the phone only. They had been archived somewhere else.)
But I wouldn’t do that. Why would I ever? Unless, in a state of immeasurable sorrow…
But anyway.
I was going to take the pen when…
F: No, no! Let me write it!
C: Frederick?
K: Hmm! You’re usually so secretive about it! Are you sure you want to write this lovelog yourself?
F: Yes! Also, if you hadn’t realized… The only type of logs that I write are… “lovelogs”.
***
***
It reminded us of our weakness again, the day we couldn’t reassure ourselves that everything is alright.
The lights was on outside. Since it is World Cup season, we didn’t think it was unusual. Probably Boby up late watching among the stars. The bad news is it ruins our intimacy.
We halted until the light should go away.
It didn’t go away.
At all.
It was presumably 3 in the morning. 5 hours since.
Cantor, like a warm flame, was embracing my body.
F: Could we do it now?
C: Not yet.
F: Not like he can hear anything! Right…?
We were, again, fearful of being heard during our intimacy.
And Cantor made the decision.
C: Let’s head out.
F: Cantor!!
C: See what’s happening.
And how I loved him when we saw only the empty chairs and a forgotten lightbulb. You can’t imagine how my heart soared as the clouds of doubt cleared away. I could jump at him if I had the ability to.
The sky in Hanoi at 3 (estimated) was murky as always.
F: How do you even know it’s 3?
C: I don’t. I just feel like so.
F: Let’s go see the stars.
C: There won’t be any.
F: Let’s just go check. Please!
And so we did. We ventured to the bluest patch of visible sky.
F: Let’s see…
No stars.
C: I told you.
He sighed, but very lightly.
F: Oh well. At least we can watch the clouds. Are they moving?
C: I’m sure they are. The wind speed is much higher up there.
We admired the silence of nighttime, in a neighborhood that is always rowdy now thanks to the new neighbors and his guests.
C: What if we cracked right here?
F: WHAT!?!
C: I mean it’s all quiet and dark! No one would see us–
F: People will! Just because they have their lights off doesn’t mean that they’re not there!
Cantor looked down at his feet, his face contorted like he ate a slice of lime.
F: Man! The nerve of you.
And we stood there for a little bit more, not enough to discern the movement of the clouds.
We turned our back against the sky, preparing to head for the bed. Finally, Cantor was feeling sleepy, as he yawned in the garden.
F: I really wanna crack Cantor right here!
C: *huffs out a string of laughs, embarassed* You sly dog!
1057
K: You see? Money can’t buy happiness!
Kyon breathes in the fresh air, delighted at the renewable BL energy. Kyon is happy they don’t need the money after all. In fact, Kyon spent 2/3 of the remaining dollar on a cup of winter melon tea and they didn’t even notice! See? Kyon can manage.
1139
Cantor đọc bài điếu văn cho Enne. Anh mặc bộ veston đen trắng trang nghiêm, nhớ lại:
C: Thấm thoắt mười năm sau đó, sự kiện nhớ đời ấy, nó đã nuốt lấy linh hồn tôi, trở thành chính tôi, vấn vít lấy từng thớ thịt của tôi, tạo nên con người tôi ngày hôm nay…
Khán giả cúi đầu mặc niệm.
C: …các đũy tình iu ạ.
Khán giả đồng loạt giương mày.
C: Thưa các đũy tình iu…
Khán giả giương tiếp mày bên kia.
Đám ma có 500 khách mời đến dự, toàn là Lav và Kyon. À, có cả Salvatore và Maurice nữa.
Fred đâu ư? Fred đứng ngoài nhà thi đấu, chờ đóng kịch xong rồi đi về.
F: Khổ lắm, biết rồi! Suốt ngày sống sống chết chết.
C: Anh chả thế?
F: *tặc lưỡi* Ừ thì…
C: Vào đi thôi. Đến phần của anh nói về The Magician rồi đấy.
F: U LÀ TRỜI!!! Ơ mà ủa Magician cũng chết á?
C: Không, chỉ là nêu cảm nghĩ thôi.
F: Simp chứ gì? Biết rồi!
C: Chuẩn bị thôi.
… Nhớ bắt đầu bằng “các đũy tình iu” nhớ.
1320
Đám đông vẫn tiếp tục tràng vỗ tay không dứt do quá đông. Một Kyon ở hàng đầu nói:
K1: Cantor thật sâu sắc!
Câu nói đó được chuyền qua lại khắp khán phòng, cho đến khi nó dừng lại ở một đôi tai Kyon nghễnh ngãng:
K??: Cantor thật xéo sắc!
Và hai phiên bản đó lan đi giữa tràng vỗ tay, phát triển và cạnh tranh giữa đám đông 500 người như cell evolution simulator vậy.
1613
Đám đông đã đạt peak tiến hóa. Dân số đã ổn định… và tìm được điểm dung hòa.
K1: Xấu sắc!
L1: Xấu sắc! *cụng ly*
K2: Xấu sắc!
C: Thôi xong.