REMORSE (ENG)

chapter 3

After returning from the mall, Kongpob immediately bathed Arka.

The bathing process is not always smooth; sometimes Arka cries because he doesn't want to bathe, or Arka doesn't want to finish bathing because he's too happy playing in the water.

Currently, Arka is crying because he accidentally inhaled water when Kongpob accidentally did not cover Arka's nose while wetting his hair.

Kongpob realized it was his fault; he couldn't focus after the incident at the bakery earlier. That brief encounter managed to throw his mind and heart into turmoil. Kongpob hated himself now.

After persuading Arka with the cake they bought earlier, Arka finally began to calm down. While eating the cake at the dining table, Arka occasionally sang a song he had just learned at daycare just because he was so happy. 

"The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish. Swish, swish, swish. Swish, swish, swish.."

Kongpob let Arka eat by himself while he did the housework he hadn't had time to do this morning. 

After more than three years, why did Kongpob have to see him again? Plus, it wasn't just him, but Arka too! Kongpob just hoped Arka could forget that brief encounter.

Kongpob felt he had gotten away from that person enough. Kongpob moved away from his hometown, leaving his parents, friends, and education behind to avoid him, but why did they have to meet again here?

 "The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish. All through the town.. The.. um.. the.. Papaaa?!"

"Yes? Papa is washing your clothes here." Kongpob shouted slightly from the laundry room.

"What are the lyrics again?"

"What song?" Kongpob was not focused on the song his son was singing.

"The wipers on the bus go swish, swish, swish. All through the town.. What comes after the wipers?"

"Um.. The signals on the bus go blink, blink, blink-"

"Papa shhh! The signals on the bus go blink, blink, blink. Blink, blink, blink. Blink, blink, blink. The signals on the bus go blink, blink, blink. All through the town.."

Finally finishing his song, Arka smiled happily as he licked his fingers full of pastry cream. Don't blame Kongpob; he already gave his son a spoon, but Arka decided that eating with his hands made the cake tastier.

Kongpob, who was now washing the dishes, was again distracted by the image of someone. The face of the man he met earlier was not much different from three years ago. He was still the same person who could make his heart skip a beat. 

It had been a long time since Kongpob last felt this way. After parting with him, Kongpob always thought, "What would happen to him if one day they met again? Will his feelings still be the same? Or have those feelings disappeared over time?" Now Kongpob knows the answer; his feelings are still the same. Even so, there was nothing Kongpob could do.

"Papa..!" Looks like Kongpob wasn't given time to fix his feelings, right?

"What's wrong, Arka? Did you finish the cake already?" Kongpob walked to the balcony with his laundry ready to be dried, but seeing Arka's smudged face as well as his clothes covered in cream even though he had just finished bathing, Kongpob put his laundry aside and approached his son first.

"Oh my God, Arka... even Tukki also turned red like this.." Kongpob put Arka down from his chair and started cleaning up the messy table,

"Arka just fed Tukki, Tukki said the cake was delicious!" Kongpob didn't answer. He was just busy wiping the table,

"Pa, what's the name of the cake?" Arka asked.

"Red velvet, honey."

"Red vevlet?"

"Red velvet."

"Red vevlet! Okay! Tomorrow, Arka will ask Ma'am to make red vevlet cake for our snack!"

"I'm not sure ma'am will make it."

"Why? Ma'am doesn't know how to make it?"

"Let's wash your face, after that brush your teeth, and go to sleep, okay?"

..

After the father-and-son duo left, Shiena's attention returned to her friend. The sight she saw was unbelievable, "Arthit? Hey, are you crying?"

Hearing Shiena's voice, Arthit immediately wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and smiled slightly, "Haha no, I just got something in my eye."

"Oh..." Shiela didn't actually believe him, but she let her friend lie to her.

"By the way... did you hear that earlier? That kid called him Papa, I thought he was his brother. Plus, he's still wearing his uniform. He's a college student, right? Isn't that weird?" 

Shiena's words made Arthit realize that Kongpob should have graduated from college now. But again, because of him and their separation three years ago, it seemed like Kongpob was repeating his education from the beginning, so he hadn't graduated yet.

"Shiena, do you know from which university the uniform is?"

"Hm... There aren't many universities here. If I'm not mistaken, the uniform is from X University. Why?"

"Nothing."

X University. Arthit originally came to this city for work. But looking at the current situation, Arthit's goal was now different. Arthit had decided that even though Kongpob hated him, even though Kongpob's words hurt him, Arthit would not waste this chance.

The last chance to make things right.