SOTUS: SevenTeen Again

SP_Rainbow After The Rain(7)

The late afternoon sun was low in the sky. Arthit wandered around the campus. Some played basketball in the court, others cheered them up. A few groups of young students delightedly laughed and talked, scattered over the grass around the central library. He headed towards the gym where he first met the heroic yet impulsive Kongpob.

He stood somewhere in the middle of the gym and sat down, crossing his legs, on the floor. From there, he had a full view of the stage.

Since his graduation, he had been here for various reasons; through both happy and troubled times. from when he proposed to Kongpob to when life threw him a curve.

He closed his eyes and ears. It was like time stood still around him. Nothing bothered him.

"........Arthit."

At first, he thought it was his imaginary voice.

"Arthit...Why are you here..."

It was Kongpob. Arthit didn't dare to look back. While Arthit was hesitating, Kongpob sat down next to him already. 

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital now, are you?" Kongpob asked, looking not at Arthit but to the front. 

"Dr. Min allowed it," Arthit continued, "Is it Bright to tell you I am here...?" 

Kongpob gave a slight giggle. "........I told you I will find you wherever you go." Arthit opened his eyes wide at his words. "No. Nobody told me you were here. I just came to.....sort out my thoughts." Kongpob sighed.

And Not awkward but peaceful silence came between them. Just by listening to the soft sound of each other's breathing, they felt their troubles slowly fade away.

"I went to Liam."

It was Kongpob who first broke the silence by saying so. Arthit looked sideways at his other half. 

"He had some porridge and promised not to skip meals again. Now, don't worry." 

Feelings of relief and guilt came over Arthit all at once. He had been worried about his little boy but he couldn't go to him. Suddenly, his vision was blurred as his eyes were half-filled with tears. 

"He misses Uncle Arthit so much." Kongpob tugged Arthit's still swollen hand and gently pressed his lips on it. "Arthit...I have something to tell you," he whispered.

"Last year my parents suggested to me changing your surname to mine. I made them shut up about that."

Arthit didn't say that he had roughly known some of what Kongpob was going to tell him about.

"But I needed to prepare for the next possible argument they would bring up to me...So...Jane introduced a lawyer named Cooper."

He just listened to Kongpob.

**

Knott handed Bright a coffee. "......been a long day, huh...?" he sat down on the sofa across from Bright. "Don't you think we need to call N'Kongpob....?" he asked.

"Arthit promised to go back home tonight." Bright shook his head. "Anyway.....he needs time to think by himself." 

They let out a heavy sigh at the same time.

"He cried as if there was no tomorrow......I felt useless......" Bright said.

Knott rubbed his chin for a while, looking at his tired-looking friend. Knott fiddled with his phone for a while.