Within My Stratosphere • SOTUS

Chapter 10. Purple Lilies

[Kongpob]

Everyone is given the same amount of time in a single day; 24 hours. Where you invest, how you invest, and why you invest is all up to the individual.

Time-wise, is a month considered a little or a lot? If compiled in a group of twelve, each comes together to form a year. Is 1/12 of a year considered valueless?

What about a decade? It's a large segment of time. If asked: 'Where do you see yourself in ten years?' Would everyone's answer be the same? Was it fair-minded to compare the achievements, and outcomes of our past ten years with another's?

This was what Kongpob wanted to ask himself.

People were envious of his position. Money, status, respect, and even sex, not even an arm's reach away. Some made it their lifelong goal to obtain even a tiny fraction of what he possessed. But did it matter in the end?

Ten years. Both he and Jay obtained ten years of memories regarding Arthit. Those ten years could not have been more different.

He envied Jay.

The weight of Jay's decade with Arthit, significantly overpowered his.

He felt the magnitude of it when Arthit had exuberantly explained his plans to visit Chiang Mai. His heart felt as if it were being crushed by the immense pressure.

Theoretically, he could not stop him from going. This was where irony played its part. He possessed an immeasurable amount of power; yet, he was incapable of stopping one individual.

The hard working Arthit had taken time off from work to visit Jay. He had rearranged his pattern of life for the sake of a birthday. Kongpob desired to be that epicenter in Arthit's life.

He had desperately tried to shorten the difference between Arthit and himself. They were more than acquaintances now, but what did that matter when a formidable foe was making his move?

Kongpob did the only thing he could do.

He booked him a hotel room. There was no way that he was going to allow Arthit to sleep in another man's home.

It wasn't easy to convince him, but it had worked out in his favor. Jay was a friendly guy. Being the friendly guy that he was, he was sharing his place with three other people in the heart of Nimmanhaemin.

After a couple days of considering Kongpob's offer, Arthit decided to accept. All for P'Jay, of course. He didn't want to impose on P'Jay's kindness by taking up space that wasn't available.

Kongpob booked him a room at Peninsula; another sub-brand of Azure Hotel. He knew Arthit viewed everything of his as extremely superfluous. So he had arranged for him stay in the superior suite. Although twice as large as their smallest available room, he preferred having Arthit stay in a decently spacious area. In comparison, the presidential suites he always occupied were ten times larger.