11. Big Brother

Javin sat uneasily, like there were nails in the chair he was sitting on. August and Leon sat to his right and left, as nervous as he was.

In front of them sat a man, enjoying his tom yam and papaya salad. That man was the one who called Javin excitedly in front of the faculty lobby, half an hour ago.

The man sat inside the rubicon and excitedly jumped down from his car towards Javin who was still standing confused.

"Hey, Nong, I'm hungry. Is there anything good to eat in the cafeteria of this faculty?" asked the man as he put his arm around Javin and led him back to the faculty building.

As if hypnotized, Javin followed the man and returned to the table he had occupied with August and Leon before. The two friends were very surprised. The man casually ordered food and brought it to their table.

"Phi, so-sorry, are you th-this person?" Leon asked, pointing to his laptop screen which was still open on the article page about the Vachiravit family.

The man looks at the laptop screen and laughs. "Yes. That's me. Are you guys looking through my profile?" asked the man kindly.

"N-not on purpose," August answered shyly. "Javin is looking for a way to contact Phi Kwan to ask about his car being taken to the garage."

"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. The tom yam and somtam here are delicious. I have to wrap some for my wife, she will be very happy."

The man looked at the tom yam stall with a pleased look, before turning back to the three youths in front of him.

"My name is Wine and I am the older brother of your Phi Forth, Nong Javin."

Javin's face was red like a tomato. "Not to be rude, Phi Wine, but why are you looking for Javin here?" asked August.

"I meant to return Nong Javin's car. Kwan left for Malaysia this morning and Forth was worried you might need the car."

"Owh, Phi, I'm bothering everyone with that old car," Javin muttered embarrassedly.

Wine laughed and shook his head. "No, no. I do like to walk around and occasionally go down to the repair shop. Well, that's when I saw your car."

"Phi, uum ... err ... how much do I have to pay for repairs," said Javin timidly.

Wine was a cheerful person, smiled and laughed a lot, also friendly and familiar, but for some reason Javin felt that there was an aura emanating from the man that made Javin feel uncomfortable and it seemed that his two best friends also felt that way.

Wine and Forth show differences in demeanor and act, but they share the same aura. Authoritative, assertive, and charismatic.

"Huh? That car is old and rare these days, mainly because it's white and so smooth. It's very expensive."

Javin's face now turned pale. He knew he would be in trouble because he couldn't pay for the repairs to his car.

"I-I don't have much money, Phi, but I'll pay for it, for sure," Javin said quickly. "Can I pay the down payment first to you?"

"I'll help you, Javin. I still have savings. You can use it," said Leon, patting Javin's back.

August also did the same thing. "I will also help you. We can jointly pay for it."

Wine saw the interaction of the three young men in front of him and laughed loudly. "Well, well, I'm very happy to see your compactness. Reminds me of the past, my college days with my friends," said Wine half thoughtfully. "Ah, yes, I almost forgot. How about 5 million baht?"

Javin choked on his own spit and coughed violently. August quickly handed him a bottle of water that had not been opened and handed it to Javin.

"Fi-five million, Phi?" Leon asked in a small voice.

"Hm. Actually it's slightly higher than the market price, but the car is very original, especially for the interior. It's for my wife anyway, so the price is nothing."

Javin, August, and Leon looked at each other. They didn't understand the direction of Wine's conversation. The man took his phone and opened an app.

"Well, state your account number. I'll transfer the money now. Anyway, you two, Nong August and Nong Leon, I'll register you as members in my workshop, so if you're going to repair a car or just do routine service or buy spare parts at workshop or shop affiliated with my company, you guys will get a discount."

"Phi, just a minute," said Javin, overwhelmed and confused. "I don't understand what you mean. My car repair costs five million, which I have to pay, right? But why are you asking for my account number and going to transfer money to me?"

Wine raised an eyebrow in a playful manner and opened his mouth to answer, but suddenly his phone rang. He looked at the phone screen and chuckled.

"Just a moment. My grumpy little brother called."

Javin felt his heart beating faster. What Wine means is definitely Forth. Wine turned on the speaker before taking the call.

"Hello, bro?"

"Phi Wine, don't tell me you're at the Javin campus?" Forth's voice was sharp.

Wine laughed. "My handsome brother, of course I'm in the right place. I'm negotiating with your handsome nong."

"Don't be arbitrary, Phi, at least you have to ask Javin first whether he wants to sell his car or not. Don't point at him," Forth said annoyed. "You really like doing things on your own."

Wine laughed. "Yes, yes, yes, I will ask him."

"Give Javin the phone for a second."

Wine handed the phone to Javin.

"Ha-hello, Phi?" says Javin.

"Hi, Nong, forgive my slightly eccentric brother. You don't have to agree to what he offers you."

"Yes, yes, Phi, I understand."

Forth ended the call after warning Wine again.

"So? How's it going, Nong? Did you agree to sell me your car? My wife would be very happy," Wine asked after hanging up the phone.

Javin thought for a moment. "Phi, can I think about it first? That car was inherited from my parents. The only memory left of them."

Wine was silent for a moment, then smiled gently. "Sure, Nong. I'm sorry for being careless about something so precious to you. I just like your car and my wife also like it for a long time. She like old car."

"It's okay, Phi. At least, I'm quite happy that the old car turned out to be quite valuable. Then let me pay for the repairs first, Phi," said Javin happily.

Wine's eyebrows rose. "Hm? Nothing to pay for. Forth already paid for it and you should know, Nong, especially for the family, I gave him a pretty big special discount."

"Ah," Javin mumbled wearily. "Again I bothered him."

Wine tilted her head at Javin's muttering. He turned to Leon and August who had been watching them without speaking. "May I borrow your friend for a moment?"

Leon and August quickly nodded. Leon pushed Javin away. "Come with him, Jav."

Javin hesitated for a moment, but then followed Wine who was standing waiting for him. Wine didn't say anything on his way to the rubicon parked in front of the faculty lobby.

"Nong, can I ask you a favor?" said Wine when they got to the front of the expensive car.

"Sure, Phi, I'll help you if I can."

"I heard that you are a final year student and in the process of going through your internship?"

"Yes, Phi, that's right. It's still about five months down the line."

"You still have courses you have to take this semester?"

"Not coincidentally, Phi. Mostly my friends and I only need to come to campus once in a while to attend seminars or pre-apprentice training."

"I hear you also work in a convenience store."

"That's right. I work the night shift so I can stay on campus during the day. Phi Forth is a customer of the mini market."

"Good! Then you are the right person."

"Uum ... What do you mean, exactly?"

Wine put her hands on Javin's shoulders and looked at him seriously. "We need your help for Forth."

"What happend to Phi Forth?" asked Javin worriedly. "Is he sick?"

"More or less so. To be honest, I and a few people close to Forth have been watching you for a while, after we saw that Forth often came to your mini market at night. So, we've come to the conclusion that you're a good fit for him."

"I don't understand. What happened to Phi Forth?"

"Nong, you know what a nyctophile is?"

***