Led by the Wind through the Sky

Something has Changed

A few weeks went by until another incident happened at a race.

Someone challenged Prapai and Rena was giddy with excitement to see the man in action. It had been quiet recently. No one wanted to race someone who always wins.

Rena cheered as Prapai won. Her heart skipped a beat when he removed his helmet revealing his grinning face. The other racer pulled up a minute later and ripped his helmet off before angrily approaching Prapai.

The whole crowd murmured angrily as their star racer was accused of cheating. When Phayu tried to reason with him, the loser turned on the mechanic accusing him of tampering with his bike. The crowd was shocked that this guy had the gall to say these things and Pakin's personal mechanic.

P'Chai turned up and the loser was smart enough to leave. The races went back to normal after that.

Rena watched as one after another Prapai's past conquests tried to be the lucky one for that evening. However, something had changed. Prapai had changed. He smiled as they flirted with him, letting them run their hands over him, but whenever they tried to encourage him to take them somewhere more private, he would get this look in his eye before sending them away.

After the last rejected conquest stormed away, Rena took her chance. Unlike the others, she wasn't looking for a night with the racer, just a conversation.

"It's been a while since we had so much excitement at these races."

"It's not unusual for unprofessionals to take their loss poorly."

"True, but it is unusual for you and P'Phayu to save intruders."

Prapai suddenly looked very interested.

"You saw that?"

"You save Sky from an unpleasant fate? Yes. If you hadn't, I would've."

"Sky?"

The gleam in the racer's eye was unmistakable.

"Oh, P'Prapai, you never got his name?"

He shrugged. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence and it wasn't as if he hadn't asked the boy for his name.

"How do you know... Sky?"

"I don't know him personally. We go to the same university. I know of him. Rain too."

"And yet you tried to save him from P'Pakin's men? I don't think you would've had the same effect as me."

"I think you're right, but from what I know of Sky, he's a good person. Not someone I would expect to be sneaking into a place like this. His friend, Rain, however, has a reputation for being..."

"A troublemaker?"

"Yes..."

"That's what Phayu calls him."

"Ah."

Rena noticed Prapai looking at her with a strange expression on his face and she felt herself get self-conscious.

"What?"

"I didn't realise you were that kind of person."

Seeing her confusion, he elaborated.

"Kind hearted."

"Oh. I just... If you can help, you should, right?"

"Maybe you should, but not many would. I don't know anyone who would go out of their way for someone else. At least not someone they didn't know well. Anyway, see you at the next race, Rena. Enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Bye, P'Pai."

Her head spun as she watched the racer walk away. Was it her imagination or had Prapai seemed intrigued by her? But it was mentioning Sky that had gotten his attention.

It was obvious that he hadn't seen Sky since that night and yet Prapai still thought about him. Rena wondered what it was about her fellow student that had captured the players attention so thoroughly. Perhaps she should find out for herself.