Ziff’s Endearing 

    ~02~

    “Yeah, she’s my girl!”

    The second Ziff blurted out that absurd, ridiculous statement, the entire table erupted into murmurs, only to fall silent a moment later, as if we were in a sacred chapel.

    Including me.

    I stared at him, my mouth hanging open in shock and disbelief.

    What on earth was he talking about...

    “Ha ha, he’s joking. It’s nothing,” I said quickly, waving off my friends, whose eyes were practically glued to Ziff, unblinking.

    Several of them looked like they were ready to get up and leave.

    Ziff and Paus, my friend, were staring each other down like two wolves squaring off, each refusing to back down. I half-expected myself to be a referee who step in and let them duke it out in a ring.

    “What was that, Panya? You say it’s nothing. Then why’d you go hugging my leg, begging me not to leave you, huh?”

    Ziff threw his heavy arm around my shoulder, his hand gripping my chin, tilting my head from side to side until I felt dizzy.

    Sob… is he a sadist or something?

    “Hugging your leg? Hah! You probably didn’t know that Panya stays over at my place all the time. Even after starting college, she’d crash at mine pretty often,”

    Paus’s word made me want to sink into the floor, throwing a fit.

    He was not exactly lying, but it was not the whole truth either.

    Sure, I had stayed over at Paus’s place a lot, but it was not just the two of us! Other friends came too. I was not alone!

    Besides, Ziff’s arm around my neck was getting tighter and tighter.

    Cough, cough, he was strangling me!

    “Let go of her. If you’re a real man, don’t manhandle a woman—even if she’s your girl,” Paus said, grinning broadly.

    If there was anyone who could add fuel to the fire, it was Paus. Seriously, he was killing me here!

    “Looks like you don’t know her at all. This one here loves a good tight hug. She grew up lacking warmth and care,” Ziff replied, unphased and matching Paus’s challenge.

    His grip tightening until I felt my face flush from the lack of air. Then he tilted my face to lock eyes with him.

    Ziff’s look said it all: if you want to stay alive, keep quiet. I nodded out of fear, swallowing hard.

    He smirked like a classic villain, then slapped a thousand-baht bill on the table and stood up, pulling me along with him.

    “Tonight’s on me. Gotta go—we’ve got a little romantic matter to sort out,”

    he said, yanking me away from the table.

    Paus could only glare at me, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek in frustration, unsure how to help since I had not said a word to ask for it.

    Like I would dare! If I spoke up, Ziff would probably strangle me on the spot.

    “Shit!”

    I heard Ziff mutter something under his breath, barely audible, but it piqued my curiosity, and I turned to look at him.

    “What are you staring at me for!” Ziff barked, still dragging me toward the restaurant parking lot after that whole dramatic display.

    “Did you just call out your own name?” I asked, and he let out an exasperated sigh.

    “I was cursing... Not saying my own name!” he snapped, and I frowned, confused.

    “So… is ‘Ziff’ a swear word or something?”

    “God damn it, shit!!”

    For some reason, Ziff just kept repeating his own name like that. What on earth was going on with him?

    I rode with Ziff and found myself at his apartment. Groggy and half-asleep at first, I had followed him without realizing where we were going, and the moment I realized it was his apartment, I jumped back to cling to the door.

    But as I tried to leave, he flashed the keycard in my face, leaving me deflated.

    “Without this, you’re not getting out. Be careful, though—this area is crawling with creeps who might drag you into their rooms,” Ziff said with a smirk, then disappeared into another room.

    “Wait! Where even am I? I want to go back to my own place and sleep,” I groaned, feeling utterly exhausted from everything that had happened.

    Yesterday, I barely slept. I worked, walked around, begged Ziff, and froze in that air-conditioned lab all day, leaving me achy and on the verge of a fever. And the one who brought me here did not seem to care at all…sob.

    “It’s three in the morning. Honestly, I don’t have the energy to drive you all the way back to your dorm, drop you off, and then drive back here. I’ve got class in the morning!”

    he yelled from the other room, and I slid down to sit on the floor in defeat.

    “I don’t live in a dorm, you know—I live alone in an apartment.”

    “Whatever! It’s all the same. I don’t want to take you back.”

    “It’s not the same. Dorms and apartments aren’t the same at all,” I argued, hearing his groan from the other side of the door.

    “Shit, damn it!”

    Why did he keep saying his own name like that? Did he not have anything else to shout?

    I sat by the door for a few moments, sulking, when Ziff came out from his room looking very questionable. He was only wearing loose gray pajama pants, nothing else.

    His bare chest was toned and healthy-looking, enough to make my blood rush to my nose.

    “Whoa!”

    I realized I had been staring too long and quickly covered my eyes.

    “What kind of woman goes ‘whoa’? Ugh, my head hurts,” Ziff muttered, flopping onto the sofa like he had just returned from war.

    And I felt like I had just come from a horror movie.

    What should I do…? I saw his bare chest.

    And wow… it looked great.

    …...............

    Oh my gosh, what am I even thinking?

    “Go take a shower. I’m exhausted. My eyes are closing—I can’t stay up any longer…” Ziff mumbled, covering his face with one arm and turning toward the back of the couch.

    That position made it pretty clear he did not want to talk to me anymore.

    “I didn’t bring any underwear, so…could I borrow your washing machine?” I asked, noticing Ziff’s ears turn bright red.

    Was he mad or just embarrassed?

    “I don’t have a washer. I send my laundry to the dry cleaner downstairs,” he muttered as I looked down at myself with a sigh.

    “Then… can I wash my stuff and hang it to dry in your bathroom?” I asked again, and this time he threw a pillow at me in frustration.

    “Do whatever you want. Just stop asking!”

    he shouted, and I dodged the pillow barrage as he flung them at me.

    “But I don’t have any clothes to change into. Do you want me to just go without?”

    At that, Ziff shot up from the sofa, glaring at me angrily.

    “Then just don’t shower. Don’t do anything. Just sleep by the door.” he ranted, his face still flushed red, looking both annoyed and a little ridiculous.

    “It’s kind of necessary.” I muttered, defeated. Ziff sighed in exasperation, running his hand through his hair.

    “So what, do I have to go buy you underwear now or something!?”

    he asked, face flushing even redder.

    It was both endearing and funny somehow.

    “They really sell it here!?”

    “Arghhh, I’m going to lose my mind!”

    After a shower, I started feeling drowsy again, my body like a melted substance, ready to collapse. The water had completely sapped my energy, and I rushed to put on my clothes before I could pass out.

    Ziff had actually been really kind, going out to buy me some underwear—though his face looked about as pleasant as an anaconda preparing to strike.

    Once I had dressed, I thought about asking Ziff where I should sleep. Staying in his bedroom felt a bit inappropriate,

    even if I had just washed my underwear and hung it to dry in his bathroom.

    It was a necessity—what else was I supposed to do!

    “Ziff…” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes as I walked over to the sofa where he was lying.

    Ziff had propped his head on his arm in place of a pillow and looked like he had fallen asleep. Seeing him like that made me feel a pang of sympathy, knowing how demanding engineering studies could be.

    He had been running around all day and had to have been exhausted. I picked up one of the pillows he had tossed around earlier, planning to slide it under his head quietly.

    Or… maybe I should wake him up and tell him to go to his bed?

    I was still debating this as I gently grasped his arm, intending to pull it out from under his head.

    “Ziff…” I called his name softly.

    His eyelids slowly lifted.

    For a moment, our eyes met, and I unintentionally lost my balance, falling directly on top of him on the big sofa.

    My heart raced in shock, and I scrambled to push myself off him immediately. Ziff coughed, probably winded from the impact.

    Once he stopped coughing, he shot me an irritated glare. I gave him an awkward smile and a dry laugh then held up the pillow as an explanation.

    “I was just trying to give you a pillow. I had no intention of wrestling with you.”

    With a grumble, Ziff pushed me back toward his bedroom, then slammed the door shut with a loud bang! Then, stomped away in frustration.

    I had no idea what I had said to make him that annoyed.

    Honestly… I do not.

    •

    In the morning, I turned my face away when someone shook me awake.

    “I’ve got afternoon classes…” I mumbled, reluctant to open my eyes.

    “Really, I’ve got class in the morning, so I’m heading out now. Are you sure you’ll be able to find your way to campus on your own!”

    His voice made me groan irritably.

    “Yeah…”

    “Oh, and one more thing—your method of hanging your underwear is a disaster! Next time, try to hang it lower, will you? I opened the door and your bra was practically plastered to my face. You got that, Miss Clueless!”

    “Mmph!”

    “I’m late, so I’ll be off. I already saved your number, and my number’s by the door. If you get lost on the way to campus, just call.”

    “Yeah! Just be quiet already. You’re so loud,” I snapped, burying my face into the pillow in irritation.

    “Are you serious… This is my room, Tofu Soup Girl!”

    He shot back, then stomped off, his footsteps fading.

    “Tch... Tofu soup girl? What a jerk. Just like that Ziff.”

    I muttered before falling back asleep. I woke up again only when my phone alarm went off, signaling it was time to get up for class.

    I reached over to turn it off, rubbing my eyes groggily, the insult tofu soup girl still echoing in my head.

    And then, I opened my eyes wide in shock.

    This was not my room. It was Ziff’s room!

    I scanned my surroundings and shot up from the bed, hurrying outside in case Ziff’s handsome face around, ready to yell at me.

    But the spacious apartment was completely empty, filled only with elegant furniture and Ziff’s belongings.

    I ran a hand through my disheveled hair, trying to remember what Ziff had said before he left.

    “Panya, you’re going to irk Ziff again for sure. Ahh… What should I do now?”

    I groaned to myself before heading to the bathroom to get ready. I needed to hurry to campus; my class started in an hour and a half, and I could not afford to miss it.

    “I’ll apologize later, I guess,”

    I muttered to myself and dashed into the bathroom at light speed.

    After my classes, I felt like my soul had been sucked out. I barely managed to drag myself to campus since Ziff’s condo was so far from here.

    And on top of everything, my glasses were broken, so now I was practically stumbling around like a half-blind granny.

    When my friends saw me, they looked like they were about to ask questions about Ziff, but I quickly dodged them with a short excuse.

    “I’ve got research to do. See ya!”

    After that, I ran straight to the engineering department, out of breath. Damn it. Why on earth was this faculty located in such a remote part of the campus?

    I clutched a box of cakes for the guys as I looked around, not quite sure how to get through the main entrance to the research hall.

    Just then, I smiled widely as I saw King... The guy I’d embarrassed myself in front of—approach and help open the door for me.

    Upperclassmen had keycards to access the doors here, which meant outsiders and freshmen could not use the department hall after hours. King had filled me in on that detail as we entered together.

    “But I’m technically an outsider. Won’t you get in trouble for letting me in?” I asked, feeling a bit uneasy now that I realized the situation.

    “Just keep it quiet. Who’s gonna know?” he replied, giving me a cute wink before walking off to his own research station.

    “Wait, thanks for the door! Here, take a cake,” I said, opening up the big box I was carrying, which had dozens of smaller boxes of cake inside.

    “Oh! Thanks! I’ll enjoy it,” he said with another smile before heading off.

    I went straight to Ziff, who was sawing a piece of wood with an intense focus, unaware I was already here. I motioned for everyone else to be quiet because I wanted to surprise him.

    “Ziff…” I whispered sweetly in his ear, making him startle and turn to face me immediately.

    In that instant, his lips and nose brushed against my cheek, sending a rush of heat through my face. No one else noticed, though, because he dropped the saw with a loud clatter in surprise,

    causing me to stumble too.

    Thankfully, he caught me before I hit the floor, saving me from potentially lying in a pool of blood after landing face-first onto the saw.

    “You!” he barked, as the room burst out in laughter.

    My heart pounded so hard I feared it might stop altogether.

    His arms were around me, and his cologne lingered at the tip of my nose, leaving me dizzy and flustered.

    “You trying to get yourself disfigured? Didn’t you see I was holding a saw? Do you want to end up crippled, huh!” he snapped angrily.

    But in his voice, I could sense genuine worry and warmth.

    Why was it that I liked hearing him scold me like this, wrapped up in his arms?

    I must be going crazy.

    “Get away from me. Not wearing your glasses again. I swear... I want to strangle you!” Ziff growled.

    “Calm down, Ziff… Panya brought cake. Looks delicious,”

    Golf said, trying to defuse the situation and get Ziff to take a break.

    “I don’t like sweets,” Ziff replied gruffly, though his hold around me felt oddly warm and gentle.

    “It’s really good, Ziff… I got a piece from Panya first, and it’s super sweet,” King teased, poking his head out from behind the team divider and waving a half-eaten piece of cake in Ziff’s direction.

    At that moment, I could practically feel the murderous aura radiating from Ziff, who was still holding onto me.

    Wh-what is going on here?

    This situation was absolutely terrible for my heart.

    “Oh yeah? Really good, huh, King…”

    “Yeah…super sweet. Well, I’m off. Have fun working,” King chuckled, disappearing back to his station.

    Ziff’s expression slowly shifted.

    Everyone else, who had just begun eagerly opening their cake boxes, paused mid-motion, noting Ziff’s gaze and expression...

    “Don’t even think about touching that cake,” he said quietly, and everyone gulped.

    “I’m eating every last piece myself. If anyone dares take one, I’ll slice their throat with a saw. Ha ha ha.”

    Oh no. Ziff was in his black mode. I’m so dead, sob…

    I wanted to laugh. I really did.

    After finishing our research session, we all went to a nearby restaurant. I had collected plenty of data from them for my project, and at this rate, I might actually finish my report early.