100 Days Without You (COMPLETED)

7. Singto

Singto

Singto's late to meet Mathilde the next day. He's exhausted and has had to use all his secret make-up tricks to make himself presentable. She's waiting by the door and looking at her watch, two coffees balanced precariously on her folder of work.

"Finally!" She groans, thrusting one at him as he gets close enough. "You could have messaged. I bet we've lost our seats by now."

But by some miracle, they haven't, so they nudge their way down the row and spread their things out, just before their lecturer enters the room.

"Today, I want you to focus on the people in your lives who have inspired you to choose this course. I want you to consider anyone who has influenced you from the entertainment world, and I want you to discuss your aspirations. You can use the first hour, I will scan them in the break and give you some feedback while we analyse a few short clips."

Mathilde shrugs out of her jacket as their teacher asks them to start "Man, this is hard!" She moans.

Beside her, Singto has already started to write, his pen flying over the page, English gliding out of it in his earnestness to get the words from his head. He knows exactly what he wants to say.

When the hour is up and they have to turn them in, the professor shakes her head at the sheaf of paper in Singto's hand. "In one hour, Mr Gun?" She says, glancing between the papers and Singto's expression.

"What can I say? I was inspired."

His teacher laughs and then motions him away as the next students approach.

When they return from their break (more coffee for Singto to keep him awake), their teacher asks them to use their devices and headphones to complete a short assignment while she offers up some immediate feedback.

Singto's turn comes quite quickly and he sits beside her at the desk.

"Who's Krist?" She says, eyes almost lazering into his own.

He coughs and hides a grin at the name and then points out a short paragraph where he's described Krist's first TV show (neglecting to mention his own part in it) and how it changed the course of his life.

"Krist is.. he's.. everything." He settles on, lifting his gaze back to her own.

She nods thoughtfully, then lowers her voice, "I quite like Meryl Streep, I've always been inspired by her, if you know what I mean?"

He doesn't look away, just nods his head a few times, yes he knows what she's implying. "The truth is.." his teacher nods at him, urging his confession. She likes this quiet spoken young man and his determination. She knows he has had some struggles to get here but he wants to improve and learn more. She wants to help him out.

"The truth is that he's the first actor I ever watched who made me really understand what acting is. Every second he's on screen is so natural. He could play a mass murderer and I'd believe he was one for the duration of the film. He's genuine and wears his emotions on his face. He's powerful and vibrant and incredibly talented and I want to learn here so that I can go home and direct him."

When he's finished speaking, his teacher smiles again. "Then I'm sure that's exactly what you'll do. You're not someone who says things he doesn't mean. I recognise that. If you want to direct Krist, then that's what you'll be doing in the future I'm sure. And I know you'll be amazing at it. You definitely have the knowledge and the passion."

Singto huffs a laugh, "Well, maybe it's what I want Professor, but Krist.. he's almost always got his own way, so really, it'll depend on him!"

"You sound like you know him personally," she comments and then watches the red blush that spreads over her student's cheeks.

"Well.. I've met him. So.."

She nods and then invites him to write a little more before handing it back in and he makes his way over to Mathilde and his now-cold coffee.

"I should have just got us iced ones, M." He groans and she laughs and pats his hand and tells him to get watching the horror films so she doesn't have to.

Later, when he's back in his room and Joshua has gone out, he unfolds the draft of his writing and then cuts out the paragraph he wrote about Krist.

He adds a note at the top and a salutation at the bottom. Then he grabs his instax camera and takes a selfie that's only just a little crooked but still looks fine. On the back he writes, 'I was talking about you with my professor today. She thinks that one day I'll get to direct you. I told her she didn't know how stubborn you were. S'

Then he drops two other pictures that he's taken in the city along with his writing into the envelope and seals it, tongue licking at the revolting gum. Anything for Krist Perawat, he thinks.

He writes the address, and his own, neatly, and puts it on his table for later.

I wonder what you're doing. He thinks. Then he goes to sleep a little more content.