"I forgot that you don't have my number. Did you get any news? Is that why you're here?"
Lieutenant fired away the questions quickly as soon as they met.
"I told you I'd talk about that in the evening. This is my break time. I heard you liked the food, so I brought some for you. There's the main dish and fruit. If you don't want to eat here, you can come to eat at my place."
"What...?"
The sweet-faced young woman exclaimed loudly when she realized the reason Mae Kru Bulan had come all the way here was just to bring her a lunchbox, instead of something more important.
"If you don't like something, just throw it away. I don't know what you can eat, so I brought everything I made. Take it."
It seemed the slender figure didn't quite understand and did things more impulsively than expected.
This wasn't how Mae Kru Bulan should be treating her, and she was ignoring the things that should've been said first, knowing full well that it was something she was very anxious about.
"I don't need food, and I don't have that much free time,"
Lieutenant Peem's voice began to tremble with displeasure, but she held it back as much as she could.
"Why? Are they working you so hard here that you can't even eat? If you don't eat anything, where will you get the energy to work?"
"I need to ask you why you came here for something like this. Do you know how serious I am about this? You act like it's a joke that you can talk about whenever you want. Are you willing to help or just teasing me?"
"You think I'm joking? If I wasn't willing to help, why would I close the school? If the person interrupting my ritual wasn't someone I desired this much, I would've kicked you out. You mightn't even make it home. Just because I gave in, don't take it for granted. If you have someone you love, then get the hell out of my sight, and don't let me see you again."
"I'm sorry for being rude. Really, I am. But what does me having someone I love have to do with this? Does it affect dealing with those people? I just don't know."
"I see that we're meant to be, and your eyes tell me you haven't loved anyone yet."
"Yes, I don't have a lover, but I still don't understand."
"Or do you despise me because I'm a woman?"
"...."
She could hardly believe what she was hearing, standing there speechless, not knowing which way to move. The handle of the white tote bag was shoved into her hand before Mae Kru Bulan walked back to the white car parked out front.
The lieutenant looked down at the bag containing the food box, still standing there even after Mae Kru's car had driven away. She swallowed her saliva, feeling something hard to describe. Mae Kru's clear and articulate words echoed in her ears, repeating over and over without stopping.
"Lieutenant!"
"Y..Yes, Sergeant Major?"
She jumped in surprise at the voice of Sergeant Major Piak, who was standing next to her desk.
"What's wrong? Why did Mae Kru come to see you here? Or are you dazed because someone put a spell on you, and you asked Mae Kru to drive it out?"
"That's nonsense, Sergeant Major. Who'd do that to me? I just have a case I want Mae Kru to help with."
"Phew... you scared me."
"Have you eaten yet? I'm not very hungry, so you can have this. Someone gave it to me."
