Crossing Fates

Chapter 5: Pond's Surprise Invitation

The next morning, the sun shone brightly through the windows of the university café, casting a warm glow over the tables scattered with students. Pond Nithipat sat near the window, idly stirring his coffee as he stared out at the bustling campus. His thoughts were elsewhere, focused on one person in particular—Phuwin Chaisuk.

Their last conversation had gone better than Pond expected, but he still felt a nagging sense that he had to do more, something to take their budding connection to the next level. But what?

His thoughts were interrupted when Dunk Saetang slid into the seat across from him, flashing his usual easygoing smile. "Morning, Pond. You're up early."

Pond blinked, shaking himself out of his reverie. "Yeah, I couldn't sleep much. Got a lot on my mind."

Dunk raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Let me guess—Phuwin?"

Pond grinned sheepishly. "Yeah. I was thinking I should ask him out. You know, something simple. Maybe grab dinner or go to a movie."

Dunk leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "You've never been this nervous about asking someone out before. What's different this time?"

Pond sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, man. Phuwin's different. He's not like the other people I've met. I want to get this right."

Dunk studied his friend for a moment before nodding. "Alright, well, if you're going to ask him out, maybe make it more personal. Something he wouldn't expect."

Pond frowned, pondering Dunk's suggestion. "More personal, huh? Like what?"

Dunk shrugged. "You're the filmmaker, Pond. Be creative."

Pond mulled over the idea for a few moments, then his eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. "I've got it! There's a film festival in the city next weekend. I'll ask him to go with me. It's perfect—a mix of art and film. It'll give us something to talk about, and it's not too formal."

Dunk grinned, clearly impressed. "Now that's a solid plan. When are you going to ask him?"

Pond stood up, a determined look on his face. "Right now."

A Nervous Invitation

Pond spotted Phuwin sitting at his usual spot in the rooftop café, his sketchbook open in front of him as he worked on a new drawing. Taking a deep breath, Pond approached the table, his heart racing with anticipation.

"Hey, Phuwin," Pond greeted, trying to sound as casual as possible.

Phuwin looked up, his expression softening when he saw Pond. "Hey, Pond."

Pond sat down across from him, feeling a little more relaxed now that the initial awkwardness had passed. "What're you working on today?"

Phuwin tilted his sketchbook, showing off a beautifully detailed landscape sketch. "Just something I've been working on for class."

Pond admired the drawing, once again amazed by Phuwin's talent. "That's incredible. You've really got an eye for detail."

Phuwin smiled faintly. "Thanks. It helps me stay focused."

For a moment, they sat in comfortable silence, but Pond knew he couldn't put off his plan any longer. He cleared his throat, mentally preparing himself for what he was about to ask.

"So, I was wondering," Pond began, his voice a little more nervous than he intended. "There's this film festival happening in the city next weekend. It's kind of a big deal for indie filmmakers, and I was thinking... would you want to go with me?"

Phuwin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the invitation. "A film festival?"

"Yeah," Pond said quickly, eager to explain. "I thought it could be fun. I know you're into art, and there'll be a lot of creative stuff there. Plus, we could grab dinner after. No pressure, though. If you're not into it, that's totally cool."

Phuwin regarded him for a moment, his dark eyes thoughtful. Then, to Pond's immense relief, he smiled. "Actually, that sounds like a great idea. I'd love to go."

Pond's heart soared. "Really? That's awesome!"

Phuwin nodded, his smile growing wider. "Yeah, I've never been to a film festival before. It could be interesting."

Pond grinned, feeling like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. "Great! I'll text you the details later."

As they settled back into their conversation, Pond couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face. He had done it. He had asked Phuwin out, and he had said yes.

A New Challenge

Later that day, Pond met up with Dunk outside the library, still buzzing with excitement from Phuwin's response. Dunk immediately noticed the change in Pond's demeanor and raised an eyebrow. "You look like someone who just won the lottery."

Pond beamed. "I did it, Dunk! I asked Phuwin to the film festival, and he said yes!"

Dunk grinned, clapping Pond on the shoulder. "Nice! See? Told you it wasn't so hard. Now all you have to do is not trip over yourself again."

Pond laughed, though he knew Dunk had a point. "Yeah, I'll try to keep it together this time."

As they walked across campus, Dunk couldn't help but bring up the strange note they had found the night before. "By the way, did you ever figure out who left that creepy note?"

Pond frowned, his mood sobering slightly. "No idea. But it's definitely weird. I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary today, though."

Dunk shrugged, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe it was just someone messing around. Still, it's strange that they'd go through the trouble of leaving a note like that."

"Yeah, but who would even do that?" Pond asked, his brow furrowed. "It didn't seem like a joke."

Dunk glanced around the campus, his eyes scanning the students milling about. "I don't know. But if we see any more weird stuff, we should probably tell someone."

Pond nodded, though the unease in his chest remained. Whatever had been happening on campus lately wasn't going away, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt like something was about to happen—something bigger than just a few pranks.

A Growing Suspense

Later that evening, as Pond made his way back to his dorm, the unease he had been feeling all day continued to grow. The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the campus as the streetlights flickered on. The usual hustle of students was quieter now, with most people heading back to their rooms for the night.

Pond couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched. He glanced over his shoulder a few times, but each time, the path behind him was empty. Still, the strange feeling persisted.

As he reached the entrance to his dorm, something caught his eye—a small, crumpled piece of paper stuck to the edge of the doorframe. His heart skipped a beat as he reached for it, unfolding the note with trembling hands.

"You can't hide forever."

Pond's blood ran cold as he stared at the cryptic message. Who was leaving these notes? And what did they want?

His thoughts raced as he stuffed the note into his pocket and hurried inside, locking the door behind him. He couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching him. Whatever was going on, it was getting more serious by the day.