Because of you

Chapter 7

Arthit skillfully scanned every freshman, making sure they were all paying attention. It was then that his gaze met Kongpob’s the one person he desperately wanted to see again.

For a moment, Arthit lost himself in his thoughts, blinking several times and rubbing his eyes. But Kongpob’s reflection didn’t disappear. That’s when he realized this wasn’t an illusion. Kongpob was really there.

In an instant, Arthit’s face lit up like a blooming flower. A wide grin spread across his face, stretching to his ears. But just as quickly, he masked his excitement with his usual cold demeanour. He couldn’t let anyone see his true feelings. After regaining his composure, he shot a sly grin in Kongpob's direction.

Kongpob, on the other hand, was confused, trying to decipher the whirlwind of emotions that had just flashed across Arthit’s face. Before he could make sense of it, he heard someone yelling his name. Aim nudged him and pointed to the front, snapping him back to reality. His heart raced when he saw Arthit’s furious, reddened face.

“Reg no. 0062, stand up!” Arthit shouted.

Kongpob, terrified and shaking, quickly stood up. His hands and legs trembled, and he felt sweat trickling down his spine.

Arthit was angry. He had called Kongpob’s registration number twice, yet Kongpob had been lost in his own world, not even snapping out of it until Aim nudged him.

'So, Kongpob, you dared to ignore me, huh? Let’s see about that…' Arthit thought as he approached him.

“Oh, Kong... It’s been a while, hasn’t it? What happened to you? Where did you disappear these past few days?”

Kongpob didn’t respond, he just stared at Arthit. Aim stood up, trying to defend him, but this only irritated Arthit more.

“I didn’t ask you,” Arthit snapped at Aim. “Don’t try to be a hero here. Sit down.”

Aim, visibly shaken, sat down immediately. The other freshmen looked just as terrified. Kongpob flinched under Arthit’s piercing gaze, and seeing this gave Arthit a twisted sense of satisfaction. He smirked slyly at Kongpob and continued, “Hey Kongpob, if I remember correctly, before you disappeared, you confidently declared you’d take me as your wife, didn’t you?”

Kongpob said nothing, his eyes still locked on Arthit.

“So, what happened to all that confidence, huh? You vanished just like a soda bottle fizzing out—nothing but an instant reaction.”

Arthit scrutinized Kongpob closely, noticing how badly he was trembling and sweating. He realized Kongpob was truly intimidated. The other freshmen were watching too, so Arthit decided not to push things further. He leaned in close to Kongpob’s ear and whispered, “I think you’ve learned your lesson. I can see that from the way you’re shaking and sweating. I don’t think you’ll go against me like that again... right?”

Kongpob clenched his fists tightly, swallowing hard, his face pale and appalled.

“I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Don’t try to be a hero again, okay?”

With that, Arthit walked away. But even after he left, Kongpob remained standing, staring straight ahead. Arthit noticed this and smirked to himself. Aim tugged at Kongpob’s hand, pulling him down to sit.

The rest of the gathering went smoothly, but from time to time, Arthit stole glances at Kongpob, careful not to let anyone notice. He saw how Kongpob’s friends helped him now and then, and that irritated him even more.

Once the gathering ended, Arthit quickly excused himself from his friends and walked away. Before leaving, he turned and gave Kongpob one last sly smirk before disappearing.

After the gathering, Kongpob and his friends headed to the restroom to change back into their regular clothes. When Kongpob saw the restroom, a wave of indescribable emotions washed over him. This was the place where everything had turned upside down for him—the place that had changed his life in ways that could never be undone.

Sensing this, Kongpob’s friends made sure he wasn’t alone in the restroom. They stayed by his side, unwilling to leave him on his own. Though their concern came from a place of care, it made Kongpob feel uneasy. He didn’t want to be a burden to his friends. Over the past few days, they had done everything they could to cheer him up and be there for him.

After they had all changed and left the restroom, a student suddenly approached them.

“Excuse me, guys,” the student said.

“Yes?” Aim responded.

“Are you Kongpob by any chance?”

“Yes, I am. What can I do for you?”

“Thank goodness I found you. I’ve been looking for you to deliver a message.”

“Really? What’s the message?” Kongpob asked.

“Mr. XXX wants to meet you in his office. It’s on the other side of the building.”

“But why now? Isn’t everyone off after 4:00 PM?” Aim questioned.

“I don’t know, khun. But he said it’s urgent,” the student replied.

“Alright, thank you. I’ll head over right away,” Kongpob said, bowing slightly as a sign of respect.

“Okay, Aim. You guys go ahead. I’ll go meet him and catch up with you later,” Kongpob said.

“No, Kong. You’re not going alone. I’ll come with you,” Aim insisted.

“No, Aim. It’s fine. I’ll just meet him and come back quickly. You guys go ahead and enjoy your plans.”

“But—”

“No buts, Aim. I’m fine. I don’t want to burden you guys anymore. You’ve done more than enough. I know you have plans, so go on. I’ll be back soon.”

Reluctantly, Aim and the others agreed to let him go.

“Alright, Kong. But if anything happens, call us immediately, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Aim. I’ll be fine. I’ll call if anything happens.”

“Okay, then. We’ll go. Take care,” Aim said.

“Bye,” Kongpob replied as his friends walked away.

After a moment, Kongpob also headed toward the office.

He walked slowly, his mind swirling with thoughts. As he approached the office, the door suddenly swung open, and before he could react, someone grabbed his hand tightly, pulling him inside and locking the door behind them. Everything happened in a flash, leaving Kongpob in a daze, unsure of what had just occurred.

To be continued...

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