Love is a game (Love in the air collection)

Blind Date

Rain stares at Phayu. Their senior is visiting the university, probably dropping off paperwork for the student council. "He is so handsome, Sky." Rain says with a wistful sigh.

Sky rolls his eyes, Phayu is their most admired senior, known by many as the god of the architecture faculty, but Sky would be happy never to hear the man's name again. The night that Rain had a flat tire, he had called Sky at midnight to talk about his "big bike phi," that had stopped and helped him out.

For a solid week Rain had talked about the man until Sky could quote the story back to him word for word. Then there had been the night of the code line dinner when he had found out that his "big bike phi," was actually P'Phayu their senior and a member of Rain's code line. Now Rain never shuts up about him.

Before meeting P'Phayu, Rain had been unsuccessfully trying to pursue their classmate, Ple. He claimed to have a crush on her but after meeting the senior Rain seems to have forgotten all about the girl.

"Why don't you go talk to him? Maybe ask him out for coffee or something." Sky asks.

"Are you crazy?" Rain says in a panicked voice. "There is no way The P'Phayu would ever go out with someone like me. I'm a nobody."

"Rain you are not a nobody." Sky says, sternly.

"Compared to someone like P'Phayu I am." Rain argues.

"Rain, you just need to have confidence in yourself." Sky says.

"That's easy for you to say, you have been dating P'Pai forever. I have never so much as had a real date." Rain says. "P'Phayu can choose from anyone he wants."

Sky sighs, Rain doesn't realize his own appeal. Sure, his habit of constantly talking can get a little annoying sometimes. Still, he is as handsome as an idol and very kind. P'Phayu would be lucky to date someone like him. Maybe it's time for him and P'Pai to intervene to bring the two together, after all P'Pai is P'Phayu's friend. He could work on the senior while Sky works on Rain.

Phayu watches Rain and Sky leave. He shakes his head regretfully. He has liked Rain ever since he had stopped and helped the cute boy change his tire that night. When his seniors had sent him Rain's picture and told him that Rain was their newest code line junior, he had thought he would pursue him. He wanted to make the cutie his.

However when he had stopped by the university the day before the code line dinner, he had met up with Som. They had spotted Rain at a distance and Phayu had asked Som casually if Rain was dating anyone.

Som had frowned and said that Rain liked his sister Ple. Phayu had felt the disappointment wash through him. Ple is a pretty girl, and he can see why Rain would like someone like that. He had given up the idea of pursuing the cute boy then and there. He hadn't even talked to him at the code line dinner. Phayu sighs, his timing just sucks, meeting Rain after the boy already has someone he likes.

"Still thinking about your mysterious cutie?" Pai asks when they meet for drinks that night. Phayu had told him about the cutie who he had changed the tire for, but not his name. "You haven't even looked around since you got here."

"Neither have you." Phayu reminds him.

"That's different, my Sky is all I need." Pai had been quite the playboy but had settled down as soon as he met Sky. Now Phayu is the only one out of their friend group not dating anyone. He never thought Pai would settle down before him. He just hasn't found anyone to put up with his controlling ways that appeals to him. Well, except for Rain, but he isn't available.

"Why don't you ask your cutie out?" Pai asks.

"I told you he's not available." Phayu says.

Pai just shakes his head at this. Maybe he should take Sky up on his offer to fix Phayu up on a date with his friend. Rain may not be the one Phayu is mooning over but he is cute and just Phayu's type. At least he isn't taken like Phayu's cutie.

"Those idiots!" Sky exclaims. P'Pai had just told Sky about Phayu's cutie. Just hearing the story about the flat tire tells Sky that his cutie is Rain. "Rain isn't seeing anyone."

"What about Som's little sister?" P'Pai asks in confusion, "Yu was sure that Rain liked her."

Sky huffs, "Rain had a puppy crush on Ple, but she turned him down. He hasn't even mentioned her name since meeting P'Phayu."

"Oh, so it was just a stupid misunderstanding." P'Pai says.

"Emphasis on the stupid." Sky says.

"So what are we going to do?" P'Pai asks.

"The only thing we can do, get the two of them together and let them talk it out." Sky says.

"So blind date?" P'Pai asks.

Sky nods at this. If that doesn't work, maybe locking them together in a room overnight like it was some drama would be their next option.

Rain looks around the restaurant, waiting on his date. He isn't sure how Sky talked him into this. A blind date is the last thing he wants right now. He would rather stay home and daydream about P'Phayu. Sky had insisted that he get out and meet other people. Rain thinks it's just because he talks too much about their senior.

"Nong?" Rain looks up at the voice and his mouth drops open.

"P'Phayu?" Rain stammers, what are you doing here?

"I'm here for a date," P'Phayu says.

Rain sighs sadly at this and looks around wondering who P'Phayu's date could be. Someone perfect, Rain is sure.

"Who is it?" Rain asks curiously.

"You, apparently," P'Phayu answers.

"Me?" Rain squeaks. He might kill Sky for this.

"I'm sorry if you were expecting someone else," P'Phayu says, taking a seat. "Apparently our friends thought it would be funny to fix us up."

"Oh, yeah I guess," Rain says in disappointment, just as he had suspected he isn't P'Phayu's type.

"I can go if you like, we don't have to stay. Sky just knows I like you and he was trying to help." Rain says, then slaps his hand over his mouth realizing what he had said. He wants the ground to open up and swallow him. P'Phayu has frozen and he is staring at Rain.

"You like me?" He asks, "What about Ple?"

"Ple?" Rain asks.

"Som said you liked his sister." P'Phayu says.

"I mean, I did," Rain says, "But once I met you, I realized that it was only a crush. To be honest I think Ple likes someone else." Rain remembers how she had stared wide eyed at P'Pai's sister, Phan when the girl had come with P'Pai to pick Sky up. "Forget I said anything, of course you would never like me back." Rain says.

"Why not?" P'Phayu says with a frown.

"Because you are that P'Phayu and I'm just Rain," Rain says.

"Well, just Rain what if I told you I liked a cute boy from the night I stopped to change his tire and wanted to pursue him. I just thought he was out of my reach." P'Phayu says.

"You thought I was out of your reach?" Rain asks. He starts giggling.

"What?" P'Phayu asks, raising his eyebrows.

"We just completely messed things up didn't we. I thought you didn't like me and you thought I liked someone else." Rain says.

"I guess we did," P'Phayu says. He joins in Rain's laughter.

"So now what?" Rain asks.

"Now, what I should have done in the first place," P'Phayu says taking Rain's hands in his, "Would you do me the honor of going out with me?"

"When do you want to have our first date?" Rain asks mischievously.

"Brat, let's order food." P'Phayu says with a smile.

Rain nods at this, he no longer thinks he will kill Sky later. Maybe he will have to buy him a thank you gift instead.