Sotus: For One Last Time

Can't Stop

KongPobPOV

Tuesday, 9pm

"Kong...Kong" a familiar voice was whispering while rubbing my cheeks in an effort to wake me up.

Slowly opening my heavy lid eyes, I see that it's P'Arthit. Something in my heart eases. "P' you're awake" I say, stating the obvious.

With a little smile, and a hand still on my cheeks, he says "Get up and eat Kong. I bought us dinner ten minutes ago from Panda Express. I texted Aim, and he said that's your favorite restaurant on campus so far"

"You texted Aim?" incredulous and amazed, I continue "how did he react?"

Sighing, he says "I still get the feeling that they all think I'll murder you or something"

Laughing, I sleepily add "Don't you know of your reputation P?"

"What reputation? I am a pretty laid-back dude if I can say so myself" he says surprised, in a slightly defensive tone.

Smiling I say, "while many people do fall into the 'laid back dude' trap, some people are aware that you don't come out of one of the best military schools in the world as a laid-back dude" I air quote.

After mumbling "Aii...I'm not that scary" in an unconvincing tone, he gets up the bed, move towards it's end near my feet, and pull on them towards him, trying to get me up.

"I guess everything is possible in the world. A day where Oon is actually trying to get me up does exist" I say while sliding against the sheets towards him.

"Hey! I take offense to that. What are you trying to say? I am a really punctual guy" he claims, although I can see that even he doesn't believe in what he just said.

"People don't change their nature that easily P. I had to drip water in your ears to wake you up back then. Even ambulance and police sirens couldn't wake you up. I honestly have no idea how you survived in military school" I note while getting up.

But maybe I shouldn't have said that. His face loses its smile and is replaced by a quiet sadness and a bit of...anger.

"I had no other choice but to go" he says, sitting down on the bed with me promptly joining him and holding his hand for whatever he's about to share knowing that whatever it is, it's something that's still hurting him.

"Crown Princes are usually educated in the palace for the entirety of their education. But when mom died after we left the green village, I was in a really bad state for many years. And I mean really bad. I found no point in life and repeatedly tried to hurt myself" he says quietly, while something in me breaks at the unexpected confession. I tighten my hand around him and he continues "So uncle Anurak and Aunt Lara got me help. And later thought that it would be best to send me to the military school. It was a really great environment for me despite all the apparent rumors" he says with a slight smile, trying to lighten the mood. "The instructors helped me a lot, not just in teaching me warfare and its politics but also helping me literally get my life back together as much as I can"

Sighing, "I couldn't handle the fact that mom, dad, and grandfather were gone so quickly and unjustly" he quietly adds.

"Weren't they accidents? I thought I read that your mom also had cancer?" I question hesitantly.

After looking at me in the eye for a minute and after a slight pause, "That's just what the public was told. Dad's and grandfather's deaths weren't accidents Kong. They found traces of tampering in the car they were in and suspicious clues on the road of the accident" he tells me the surprising facts.