Pride Online

“Isn’t it too early for this?” He slid to accept the call, still confused. “Hello, Dad?”

“Whoa! Na, my son!! You made me so proud!! You know that?!”

The first thing he heard was an overexcited voice busting in his ear so loudly that he had to pull the phone out before he had to make an appointment with a doctor for hearing treatment.

“Ugh, I'm gonna go deaf.” Wisana groaned. “What are you talking about? I don’t get it.”

“Aw, don’t play dumb.” His dad was screeching for another time. “I’m talking about how you proclaimed your mightiness by defeating that boss on your first day, my kiddo!”

Wisana’s eyes bulged, tongue almost slipping out, ‘How did you know?’ But his common sense held it back in time, so instead, he replied,

“Still don’t get it. What are you talking about?” He blew out, acting casual.

“Na, you’re not that slick. I’ve raised you since you were so tiny until you’re this big. it took me just one glance to recognize your wise butt on the television, son.”

“Haven’t you raised me until I was 13 before you ran away with your new marriage?” The painful retort made the other side of the phone pause. He was quiet for a while after hearing his son’s sarcastic counterattack.

“You really know where to cut, huh. Just like your mom.”

“Well, I'm her son,” Wisana smirked, satisfied that the other started to get distracted.

“Wait, hold on, don’t try to change the topic. It was you, right? about the Vincent guy.”

This dad still stuck with his intention by repeating the same question again. Wisana clicked his tongue as he felt displeased by that.

Geez, the attempt to change the topic had failed!

“The name Vincent sounds a bit too corny, though I have to admit that your skills are brilliant! You really have my blood in you!” His dad’s proud bragging got Wisana stunned. He scratched his cheek, having no idea what to come up with as an excuse since his dad already knew everything.

With that conclusion, the son sighed, accepting his fate.

“Yeah, fine. That Vincent guy is me!”

“See? I'm never wrong about this!” The other side of the phone bragged with a delighted voice.

“Well, Dad, my beloved dad, the most handsome dad.” Wisana brought up his begging tone again. “Since now that you’ve found out, can I ask you for something?”

“Anything for you, kiddo. What is it?” The dad was in such a good mood, so he agreed so easily.

“Don’t tell anyone that I'm Vincent. Also, ask your company to keep it private. That'd be good. Okay, Dad?”

“What? Why the heck would you ask for that? You’re about to be famous.”

The young man rolled his eyes before he replied,

“Well, I don’t want to be. There's a reason that I... never mind. Dad, you have to keep this secret, okay? If you reveal it, then mom will find out that I play your game, too. I’m not going to help you if she yells at you after that.”

There was a long silence from the papa. Of course, he had to reconsider it again. Because even though his parents were already divorced, they still ‘agued’ a lot as a hobby. And the victory would always be brought upon his mom!

“Alright, you got a point. I'll help you keep it secret…”

“Really? Thanks, Dad.” Wisana smiled broadly.

“…If...”

Of course, that man would not help people for free, not even his beloved son.

“What?” the hoarse voice asked, his face deadpanned out of boredom.

“Well, I need your help. It's just a simple favor, nothing more. You'll know by this evening. Promise me that you’d help?”

“I don’t even know what you’re asking me to help, then how would I help you?”

“Come on, I told you it was simple. So, first, give me your word.”

The son rolled his eyes once more. Even though he did not know what the favor was yet, he still sensed something troublesome from it, and that would give him a lot of headaches. However, Wisana had asked him for many favors, too. So, he would be quite selfish to turn his dad down.

“Okay, I’ll help you with whatever that is. You’re happy now?”

“You promise?”

“Yeah, I promise you.”

“Great. So, I'll hang up now, kiddo. And don’t worry, I'll help you keep the secret as much as I can.”

After that, the beloved father hung up before Wisana could say anything more. The tall figure threw himself back on the sofa, still having the towel as his outfit.

Why was this so messed up?

He just logged in to the game for a day and had been viral worldwide.

“This is too troublesome for you, Wisana.” He concluded as he started walking back to the bathroom. “Well, I’m better off to work first and handle this later.”

----------------

“What’s up, Na? And how was your day at work?” a gentle voice drew the name owner to look at her with a delighted wide smile.

“It was okay, Pa.”

“That’s good.” The older one acknowledged with a nod. “As I can see that the kids like you. But aren’t you a bit too popular among the girls?”

“Well, yeah. I'm always popular only with the kids.” He went along with an amused laugh as he kept walking.

Wisana was now in a white shirt and his favorite pair of jeans, walking on the sidewalk in a tutorial school in Ngam Wong Wan, Bangkok. He was passing through the building that looked more like a fancy hotel than a school building. The school was called ‘The Genius’ with many courses for primary students to high schoolers that prepared them for university entrance examinations.

Courses during school breaks seemed to be the most popular ones since many parents did not have enough time to take care of their children. So, they dropped the kids off here to spend some time on something productive while the parents were busy working. Because the school did not provide only the lessons, but also the teachers to take care of the students, too. They even provided lunch meals. It could be said that this place was not different from a daycare center.

And of course, today was the first day at work for Wisana as an art teacher, the job that he was an expert in. His students were all from the primary grades. And he did not want to brag or anything, but he really got along so well with kids of these ages!

“I don’t know how to thank you enough for your help. The previous teacher just quit with such short notice that he didn’t even give me some time to find someone to replace him. Luckily, I know some skilled people like you, Na.”

“You don’t have to praise me, Pa. You only need to ask with that sweet smile, and I'm ready to do anything for you.” Wisana used the same begging tone and a bright smile to please his senior while he was walking into the dark-colored glass room. There was a sign above the door frame, saying ‘Dir. Yardnapa Office’.

“Aw, you’re so sweet, just like usual, mister Wisana.”

“No, I’m only sweet to you.” This flirty man was grinning as he sat down on a chair without waiting for her permission to do so, showing that he was used to and comfortable with this place.

“Did the kids bully you?”

“No, not at all!” Wisana denied. “The kids are so cool and like to wheedle. For those who are sassy, they aren’t that hard to handle either. Just teach them to draw some cartoons, and they’re in control.”

Listening to what he said made her giggle.

“You always get along so well with kids.” She smiled at him. “Anyway, thank you so much for helping. I'll try to find a new teacher as soon as I can, so you can enjoy your holidays.”

“It’s nothing, Pa. Don't make it such a big deal.” Wisana brushed her off, sitting back on the chair lazily.

“Oh, well...” Yardnapa drawled her voice a little. “Then you don’t want your paycheck now, right? Just a junior helping out his senior, not a big deal.”

“Right... wait, no! How did you turn it around like this?” He nodded along before he flinched, almost becoming a free laborer. “Fine, you don’t have to pay me for my wage, if you agree to go on a date with me. You have to pay for everything, though.”

“Okay, I agree... wait, no!” Yardnapa almost fell for this trick of this kid trying to get back at her. She looked away, acting sulky.

“Alright, stop messing with me now, Na.”

The complaint was murmured out from the woman in front of him. She was an outstanding person with soft, gentle facial features and shoulder-length black straight hair, looking neat. Her tall slender figure made her look active, as well as the pair of bright, playful brown eyes of hers.

Yardnapa was 5 years older than Wisana. She was a close friend of his sister since they were little. When he first moved to study in Bangkok, Wisana and his sister stayed at their relative's house that Yardnapa came by to hang out with his sister very often. And they always included him, too. That was why they were so close.

She looked like a typical office worker, but in fact, she was the director of a tutorial school, The Genius, which was currently gaining a lot of popularity.

“How are your friends doing? I offered them a job here, too, but they’re not interested. I thought I'd get the whole gang of you,” the clear voice said playfully as she was sitting down on a chair across from him.

“They’re doing fine, just like usual.” Speaking of his best friends, Wisana chuckled. “Nuch will never be here because she hates kids to the bones. Do you remember that one time she was tasked to take care of her nephew, and that kid started to act out, way beyond her control? And she can’t get over it since then.”

Yardnapa smiled as she felt amused, nodding in understanding.

“Yes, I do. But didn’t it happen a long time ago? She’s still afraid of kids?”

“This would be great if it can be cured so easily. Nowadays, every time she meets a kid, she has to yeet away like they’re some kind of cockroach!”

She was laughing as she imagined the scenario in her mind.

“What about Tun? How's he?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about this guy. He's still the same annoying foul-mouthed jerk. He just told me that he would get a new girlfriend by the end of this summer, so our friends in our major would stop thinking that he and Nuch were a thing!”

Wisana got a chance to gossip about his best friends, making the listener laugh more.

“Why? I also think that those two are cute together.” she commented, sounding amused.

“Right. But don’t worry. I've seen so many couples that always bicker when they meet. These two will end up dating, too.”