Finding Tine Teepakorn

Chapter 4: Are you happy, Sarawat?💋

I looked up at the person who was sitting at the desk right in front of me and I couldn't even believe what I was seeing. "S—Sarawat..?

Tine's POV

There he was, the man I had been looking for since I opened my eyes in this strange, unknown world. Sarawat Guntithanon. The man I fell in love with at first sight. The man who seemed so out of my league that I didn't even dare to talk to him, until two years later when he finally stood in front of me and asked me out.

But the Sarawat in the front of me looked so much different than the Sarawat I knew and loved.

The man in front of me was wearing a tan brown jacket with messy hair and stubble. He was sitting at a desk with a pile of papers in front of him. He looked... he looked so much older and wiser. And definitely hotter.

I couldn't afford to take my eyes off of him even for a second, scared he might vanish into thin air again, scared I might lose him again.

"Tine?

Tine?

Tine?"

"Huh? What?" Sarawat's loud voice finally pierced through my ears and I came back to reality. I was still standing right at the door. "Sarawat, what are you doing here?"

Sarawat chuckled. "This is my store. I should be the one asking you this question."

I tilted my head. "This.. is your store?" I looked around the office, remembering the guitar and vinyls I saw outside. Of course, the whole place screamed of Sarawat. How did I not see that?

"You really didn't know that? So, you didn't just barge into my store and my office looking for me?" I could see the little disappointment on his face as he stood up from his chair and slowly made his way to me.

"I—actually. I just. Well to be very honest with you, I saw the store and walked right in. I wanted to buy some records... and support local businesses. "

Sarawat was now standing dangerously close to me."Uh huh. Sure." His fingers grazed the cut on my forehead and I could feel my heart thumping fast in my chest. "What happened to you?"

"What?" I whispered, afraid he might hear my heartbeat.

"Why are you hurt? Why do you have scratches on your head and your hand? Your ankle doesn't seem too well either" That's when I looked down at my ankle. It was swollen and now that I noticed... paining too. I was so in my head that I didn't even notice it, and yet, Sarawat had noticed it right away. That's just how he always was.

I chuckled. "Oh it's nothing. I just had a small accident and--"

"What? When? How?"

"The taxi driver lost control and I hit my head in the car I guess"

"What do you mean 'you guess'? Did you go to a hospital and get it checked?"

"Yeah" I rubbed my temple ."I was in the hospital yesterday. The doctor discharged me after a few hours. I am okay. Just a little bit of pain in the ankle, that's it."

Sarawat held my shoulders and practically pushed me down on the sofa in his office. He was looking right into my eyes. "Are you okay, Tine? You look really disoriented." I could see the worry in his eyes. I had seen it too many times before.

"I-- I honestly don't know. I kind of had a horrible day. I have been driving all around and somehow I ended up here. Everything just feels like a nightmare and I — "

"Sarawat, I am back. Sorry I had to leave the store unmanned...." I turned towards the door of his office only to see a boy standing there and smiling at us. He looked awfully familiar but I couldn't remember who he was. "Sorry I didn't know you had someone with you."