Self Rival • Completed

xxv. the calm before the storm

For a week, Arthit continues to bond with Kong– spending his lunchtime with the younger and spending his night at Kong's apartment either cooking or watching movies with him. 

"Can't we still meet the guy behind these smiles and late-night talks?" Arthit's Mae asked one-night Arthit went home with a bright smile on his face. He remembered how adorable Kong was when he insisted that the sad movie they just watched didn't affect him. 

Kong even teased Arthit's puffy eyes, much to the older's irritation. "You cried as well, I saw you!"

"No, I didn't, P'. Something got in my eye."

"You're wearing glasses. How would something get in there?"

"No matter what you said, P', I didn't cry. Unlike you, you're a crybaby P'."

Arthit pinched Kong's cheeks to get back at him. "And what's wrong with being a cry baby?" Kong half groaned, and half chuckled as he continued to tease Arthit. 

Going back to his Mae, Arthit pecked his mother's cheek and gave her a shy smile. "Maybe next time. He hasn't said yes, I don't want to scare him if I asked him to meet you."

"You confessed?"

Arthit excitedly nodded and wrapped his arms around his mother's waist, propping his chin upon his mother's shoulder. "He's so cute, Mae. I'm sure you're going to like him. He's very polite, nice, and he loves his parents so much. I already told you that he's working to support his parents, right?"

Mrs. Rojnapat nodded. 

Arthit pulled away from her to get himself a glass of water. "Well, earlier, he asked me if I could teach him how to cook Tom Yum Goong because his Por loves it but it's been a long time since his Por had it. Kong didn't tell me why but I guessed it's because they're financially challenged. I offered to buy all the ingredients and taught him your recipe," Arthit smiled against the rim of the glass. "He looked so happy."

Arthit leaned on the sink. "But he rejected to let me buy the ingredients for him because he said he just got a salary from his side job."

"That poor kid," Mrs. Rojnapat tutted. "He's such a hardworking guy, isn't he? Doing all those things for his family."

Arthit pouted and nodded. "Yet he can't buy anything for himself and I suspect the people in his department are bullying him to be their lackey." He gritted his teeth and shook his head in irritation. 

"Why don't you report them?"

"Because I don't have any evidence and Kong's not cooperating because he said it might make everything worse. I don't want to make anything worse for Kong. Life's hard for him as it is."

"The sooner you let us meet him, the sooner we're going to cook for him too."

"Fine. But don't spoil him, that's my right as his boyfriend."

Mrs. Rojnapat smiled at the brightness her son emitted since he met Kong. She leaned in to peck Arthit's temple. "I'm happy for you. You're finally making a move towards the guy you like. I'm also glad that Kong seems like a good kid, the one I can trust my son with."

"He's the best, Mae. And, I think he's the one for me, Mae. I want him to be the one."

The more days Arthit and Kong spent together, the more the connection between them deepened. Anytime soon, they'll be in a relationship. Arthit could feel it because Kong was implying it much to his happiness. 

Another thing that he's happy about is the fact that Kong wasn't that shy with him anymore. Aside from letting the skinship between them happen and sometimes, initiating them himself, Kong's more comfortable dropping witty jokes that always made Arthit laugh.