BE WITH YOU (POOHPAVEL)

CHAPTER 3 : KNOWING THE TRUTH

At a grand celebration in the countryside, almost everyone attended the anniversary of Mary and Thien. Thien, though adopted, was treated like family by Phoom's relatives. While the festivities continued, Phoom waited outside for Krittin. Earlier that morning, Phoom had reminded Krittin about the event location and warned that if he didn't come, Phoom would finally do what Krittin wanted—end their relationship.

Despite being invited to join the fun, Phoom politely declined, waiting patiently for Krittin.

Meanwhile, Krittin was at his office, torn about whether to go. He stared at the wall, remembering his conversation with Phoom. Just then, Kim entered and spoke to Krittin about the anniversary, having been informed by Phoom and recently called to find Krittin.

"Sir, I know you're debating whether to go or not, but I understand how important Phoom is to you. You're doing everything to avoid dragging him down or hurting him more when things become unbearable for you. However, I think he'll be more hurt if you break up and he finds out why you did everything. He'll regret it, and both of you will suffer, thinking you're angry and indifferent to his feelings."

Kim quickly pulled Krittin from his chair, urging him to leave. Krittin rushed out, got into his car, but soon found himself stuck in traffic. Determined, he left his car and ran down the street. He soon discovered the cause of the traffic: a collision between a school bus and a truck. Seeing the bus driver unconscious and children trapped inside, Krittin sprang into action. He asked around for a rope, then secured one end to the edge of a river and the other to himself. Stripping off his coat, Krittin, a former military man trained by his grandfather, scaled the bus.

Inside, he calmed the frightened children. Using his AirPods, he instructed someone to call Kim for emergency help. Noticing the driver had a severe arm wound, he tore his shirt and tied it tightly around the injury to slow the bleeding. Carefully, he directed the children to the back of the bus to balance the weight.

Suddenly, Krittin heard the sound of three helicopters approaching. Rescuers descended, securing the bus with ropes to prevent it from falling into the river. They quickly shattered the bus windows, pulling everyone to safety. As Kim helped Krittin out, he noticed a deep cut on Krittin's arm. During the chaos, Krittin had shielded a child from a sharp object, sustaining the injury himself.

The intense rescue had left everyone shaken but grateful. Despite his injury, Krittin's only concern was getting to Phoom and making things right.

Due to the traffic not easing up, Krittin borrowed a motorcycle to get to the countryside faster, as he was already very late. He sped through the rain-soaked streets, pushing forward despite the downpour. After a few hours, he finally arrived at the countryside location, only to find it deserted. He learned from a staff member that the event had ended early due to the weather. Disheartened, he headed back to where he had parked the motorcycle, only to hear his phone ringing. The caller ID showed it was Phoom. 

He answered, and Phoom's voice came through, shaky and breathless.

"Phoom: I knew you wouldn't come. Why did I even hope, Krit? Even if you didn't fulfill my wish, I'll grant yours. I'll let you go, Krittin. I just need to know—are you that angry with me?"

As Phoom spoke, his eyes welled up with tears he tried hard to suppress. Krittin's cold reply sliced through the air.

"Krittin: Yes. You already know."

Krittin abruptly ended the call, his heart heavy. At that moment, he felt a familiar pain searing through him, his vision blackening. Memories flooded in—his happy family, and Phoom, whose image gradually faded away. He kept walking, disoriented, until the blaring sound of a horn jolted him. A car had stopped just in time to avoid hitting him. Passersby rushed over, a couple helping him to a nearby bench. An elderly woman gently wiped the rain from his face while her husband handed him a warm cup of coffee, trying to soothe him.