Here All Along

chapter - 20

A/n: skshsk why am I nervous 😬

...

Life in Bangkok was not even half easy of what we manifested from sitting inside the convenient four walls of our rooms in Chirang. It was uncomfortable the first few days partly because my apartment was empty and i knew nothing about setting up a home and partly because phi Earth's condo was too far from where i lived that it was impossible to meet Win as frequently as i had initially planned. We hung out twice since we came here and it was already two months.

I was the slow one to adapt with the big city lifestyle while Win easily comprehended the abc of the place. He was doing a distant masters in sports science and management at Bangkok university while his maximum time was consumed by the swimming academy. He'd often video call me at nights, grumbling about his hectic schedule but not once complaining about how it would leave him tired to the bone. He said the city was growing on him. I hoped it would be the same for me. I was the kind who's get lost in cross sections no matter how adult i would be. I was getting comfortable at my work place. Not made friends but gained a few admirers who liked my previous works from Chirang. Little things like purchasing fresh fruits at low prices or getting a goodnight call from Win were my mood boosters.

But Win was convinced that the reason we both were still apprehensive of the city was primarily because we had not seen much of it. So there began our struggle to get one weekend free so we could get to wander at places and have some fun of what we had originally planned before coming here. But apparently, adulting was more frightening and exhausting than fun. It was not before the mid of march that year Win got free. And considering that i had not skipped a day of work since i joined (which totalled to three month and almost a half), i got my share of free weekend too. It was during one of those days when Dew had told me the concept of friendly dates, about how friends too go out on movie dates or dinner dates or whatever. I told him i did not care about the terms but he said sometimes, those labels are important to take a step ahead in a relationship. Honestly, it made little sense to me but it sounded like Dew knew better about love than me (which he probably did) and so i agreed to ask Win out for a friendly date.

However, when we were talking that night on call, i got cold feet and decided to drop the plan until he sighed heavily and said,

"Ugh I miss my friends in Chirang."

"Didn't make any here?"

"Nah. They only mind their own businesses."

"Not even a crush?" I asked, involuntarily crossing my fingers.

"Nope. Nobody at academy caught my eyes. God i miss going out on dates."

That was a sign from universe. I knew it was.

"Don't you miss dating too?" he asked again when i had not replied him.

"I don't know. Its okay" I tried sounding casual.

He tched, "may be because you never had the real fun of dating. I wouldn't expect much out of you anyway..."

"You are the one to talk" i snorted, "i bet everytime you hung out with your boyfriend, it was a disaster."

He gasped dramatically.

"As if you're the best at taking people out" he mumbled indignantly.

"Go out with me if you don't believe me" i said, words jumping out of my mouth before i could control them.

A long pause later, he breathed or chuckled, i knew not.

"What?"

"I mean - it's been long since we hung out together just the two of us. Let me take you out. It will be fun."