Do you know me

Chapter Twenty-seven

A/N - Here you go missy @vixx6fantasy.  It's a bit earlier than I promised.  Also I missed the window to give you a shoutout for predicting most of the story right at the beginning. Love you loads ❤️

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After the day they hung out at the mall Kongpob didn't see Arthit again.  He texted Arthit a few times but never got a reply.  He was confused.  They didn't part in bad terms.

Kongpob was irritated by Arthit's irrational behavior and mood changes from time to time.  How did Arthit manage to avoid him so skillfully?  Kongpob checked everywhere he knew Arthit would hang out, but failed to meet him.

He didn't want to visit Arthit in his dorm.  Arthit was avoiding him for a reason.

Kongpob saw Toota in the hallway.

"P' Toota!" he called out.  "Sawadee khrap."

"Oh, N' Kongpob.  Sawadee."

Kongpob noticed how uncomfortable Toota seemed.

"P', have you seen P' Arthit?  I can't seem to find him."

"He was at the last lecture N'.  I don't know where he is now."

"P' Toota, is he avoiding me?  Do you know why?  I don't know what I did," Kongpob said sadly.

"N', Arthit is going through some personal issues.  Don't take his actions to heart."

"But P', I want to know what I did wrong."

"Maybe he didn't tell you because it's not something you would understand.  Anyway, I have to go now.  See you later," Toota said as he hurried away.

Kongpob was left even more confused than before.

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Kongpob was grocery shopping for his mother.  He had volunteered to help keep his mind away from Arthit.  He was attracted to Arthit.  That much he knew.

"N' Kong?" he heard a voice behind him.

He turned to face the person.  It was Pai's mother.  A feeling of guilt speared through him.

"Sawadee khrap auntie," he said in a small voice. He couldn't meet her eyes.

"It's so nice to see you Kong.  You know I am very fond of you."

Kongpob looked at the ground.  "I'm sorry Auntie."

"How about we go for a coffee.  Can you spare some time for this old lady?"

"What are you saying, auntie!  Of course, I can."

Kongpob liked Pai's mother quite a lot.  Unlike his own, she was quite young and treated him more like a friend than a child.  Even his sisters were much older than him.  He had always enjoyed her company whenever he used to visit Pai at her house.

"Pai told me what happened," she said sipping her coffee.

Kongpob didn't know how to respond.  He stared at his own hands.

"Did you get together with that young man?" she asked.

He shook his head.  He couldn't speak.

"Why not?"

Kongpob looked at her face.  He was full of agony.  How could he chase after Arthit right after breaking a heart that loved him?

"Is it because you feel guilty for Pai?" she asked again.

"I'm sorry Auntie.  I broke her heart.  For that you can hate me forever," tears were forming in his eyes.  How did he become a person that hurt others?

"N' Kong.  At first, I wanted to hate you for hurting my little girl.  I was angry that she had to go through the same thing as me."

Kongpob looked at her in confusion.

"Pai is going to hate me for this.  But, I consider you as a child too.  So let me tell you a story."

"When I was a young girl there was this boy I liked very much.  He was a very sweet and quiet person.  Later, I realized this boy I liked was in love with another boy who happened to be one of my best friends.  In the end, the boy I liked ended up being my best friend.  In other words, I lost my love interest to another man."

She smiled at Kongpob.

"You do remind me of my friend, who snatched this boy away from me," she said mischievously.  "But remember N', love is something that happens when you least expect it.  I got married when I was twenty.  It was out of convenience because it was the right thing to do for my family.  I do love Pai's father very much, and he has given me a loving home.  But if I had the chance to marry the person I was in love with at the time I wouldn't think twice about it.  Don't let the 'right thing' stop you from being happy."

Kongpob stared at her in surprise.  His respect for Pai's mother only increased.

"Auntie, I don't know what to say.  Thank you.  I needed to hear that."

The lady stood up.  "I wish you happiness N' Kong.  Don't worry about Pai and don't let her sacrifice be in vain."  She was about to leave when Kongpob called her.

"Wait!  Auntie Aom, what happened to your two friends?  Did they get together?"

Kongpob couldn't read her expression.

"Wherever they are, I hope they are together N'."

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Kongpob finally saw Arthit at Tum's wedding.  Whenever he tried to walk up to Arthit, he managed to avoid him.  He was desperate for answers.  Why was Arthit so adamant about ignoring him?

Seeing Arthit hang out with Prem made Kongpob want to burst into flames.  He saw the group of friends laughing in the hotel parking lot.  Prem was holding Arthit.  Kongpob didn't like what he was seeing at all.

He had to do something.  If Arthit wasn't going to give him an explanation.  He was going to force one out.

Arthit's words pierced his heart.

"...who am I to you?  You don't know me."

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Arthit was sitting alone in the cafeteria.  Kongpob was relieved to see him without his little gang around him.  Especially Prem.  He had been disrespectful to Prem.  He was sure Prem would make him pay for that.

Kongpob slammed the drawings he had made about his dreams even before he met Arthit.

"I do know you."

Arthit looked at him angrily.  "What are you talking about?  What are these?"

"You said I didn't know you.  I do know you P' Arthit.  I knew you even before we met."

"Excuse me?"

"P' Arthit, I know this will make me sound crazy.  I don't care about it anymore.  I had had dreams about you even before we met.  I recognized you from my dreams on that first day we had the interviews for the faculty.  I didn't want to be an engineer.  I chose to come here because of you.  Look at these drawings I made.  Please P' Arthit you have to believe me."

Arthit was staring at him in wonder.  He looked at the papers Kongpob had put in front of him.

"These are horrible drawings.  Is this supposed to be.... me?"  Arthit asked.

"P' Arthit... I'm serious," Kongpob whined.

Arthit sighed loudly.

"Follow me."

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[In case you guys forgot Pai's mother is Aom, the girl who had a crush on Korn.]