The days that followed Pond’s unexpected intrusion at the library were oddly quiet, but Phuwin couldn’t shake the strange heaviness in his chest. His carefully organized routine no longer felt as fulfilling as it used to. Every page he read, every formula he calculated, seemed hollow.
It wasn’t just Pond’s words—it was his presence. That bright, unrelenting energy had clashed with Phuwin’s carefully guarded solitude in a way that left him unsettled.
Then, one evening, as Phuwin walked across campus, he saw Pond again. He was sitting on a bench under one of the massive oak trees, his phone in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other. The golden light of the setting sun played over his face, making him look almost ethereal.
Phuwin froze, unsure of whether to approach or turn back. But Pond noticed him before he could decide.
“Phuwin!” Pond called out, waving enthusiastically. “What a coincidence. Come sit with me.”
“I was just passing by,” Phuwin said, hesitating.
“And now you’re stopping by. Come on, I don’t bite.”
Phuwin sighed and reluctantly walked over, sitting down at the farthest edge of the bench.
“You’re acting like I have the plague,” Pond teased.
“Maybe you do,” Phuwin muttered, making Pond laugh.
They sat in silence for a moment, the quiet hum of campus life surrounding them. For once, Pond didn’t immediately start talking, and Phuwin found himself sneaking a glance at him. Pond looked… peaceful. It was unnerving.
“What are you doing here?” Phuwin finally asked.
“Just taking a break,” Pond said, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I had a long day, so I thought I’d come out and enjoy the sunset.”
Phuwin frowned. “You don’t seem like the quiet, reflective type.”
“Everyone has layers,” Pond said with a shrug. “Even me. I’m not all sunshine and jokes, you know.”
Phuwin didn’t respond, but something in Pond’s tone made him pause. He realized, for the first time, that he might not know Pond as well as he thought.
“Do you ever stop working?” Pond asked, turning to look at him.
“No,” Phuwin said simply.
Pond sighed. “You’re going to burn out one day if you don’t give yourself a break.”
“I don’t need a break.”
“Everyone needs a break, Phuwin. Even robots like you.”
Phuwin bristled at the jab, but Pond’s expression wasn’t mocking. If anything, he looked genuinely concerned.
“You’re always so serious,” Pond said, his voice soft. “Don’t you ever just… enjoy life?”
“Enjoying life is a luxury I can’t afford,” Phuwin said sharply.
“Why not?”
Phuwin hesitated, caught off guard by the question. He’d never thought about it that way before.
“I have goals,” he said finally. “Things I need to accomplish. I don’t have time for anything else.”
Pond tilted his head, studying him. “And what happens when you reach those goals? What then?”
Phuwin didn’t have an answer.
Pond smiled, but it was a sad sort of smile. “You remind me of myself a few years ago. I used to think the same way. That if I just worked hard enough, if I just achieved enough, everything would fall into place. But it doesn’t work like that.”
Phuwin looked at him, surprised. “You don’t seem like the type to take life so seriously.”
“I wasn’t always like this,” Pond said quietly. “It took me a while to figure out what really matters. And I still don’t have all the answers, but I’ve learned that shutting people out doesn’t help.”
Phuwin felt a strange pang in his chest. He didn’t like how easily Pond seemed to see through him, how he could articulate things Phuwin didn’t even want to admit to himself.
“I don’t shut people out,” he said defensively.
Pond raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks like you’ve built a ten-foot wall around yourself.”
Phuwin glared at him, but Pond just smiled, his warmth disarming as always.
“Look,” Pond said, leaning forward. “I’m not trying to lecture you. I just… I think you’re worth getting to know, Phuwin. And I don’t want to see you lose yourself in all this seriousness.”
Phuwin didn’t know what to say. For once, his sharp tongue failed him.
Before he could respond, Pond stood up, brushing imaginary dust off his jeans.
“Anyway, I should get going,” he said cheerfully. “But think about what I said, okay?”
Phuwin watched as he walked away, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn’t quite untangle.
For the first time in a long time, Phuwin found himself questioning everything he thought he knew about himself. And he hated how much of that was because of Pond.
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YOU ARE READING
Beneath The spotlight
FanfictionYou have to read to find out LOL , this was requested by someone. Only Dunkjoong , I don't play about this ship
