Distant Signals: The Love Between Us

Chapter Thirty-One

On Wednesday, Arthit still hadn't come up with a decent excuse to ask Kongpob to spend his Saturday with him. To make matters worse, he received a message from his boyfriend in the late afternoon asking if he could push back their tutoring session for a couple of hours, meaning they'd be meeting at nine instead of seven. Apparently, to appease his hero complex, Kongpob had agreed to help his best friend complete an assignment due at midnight, but he'd underestimated the scope of work that still needed to be done.

Arthit glared at his phone. Push back their already established meeting time? He scoffed and slapped his phone down onto the table, face down.

"Damn, Arthit," said Bright, raising an exaggerated, inquisitive brow at him. "Who pissed in your cheerios?"

"No one," Arthit snapped. He flipped to the next page of his textbook with more force than necessary. "Let's just hurry up and get this done so we can go. I'm fucking starving."

Tutah and Bright exchanged looks. Prem glanced at him, as did Knot, but neither said anything and continued to do their work. After a few seconds, Arthit picked up his phone and quickly typed a response, sending it off with a scowl.

Arthit: Let him fail
0062🌕: He's my friend...and I already said I'd help
Arthit: So? It's his fault for not doing it earlier.
0062🌕: Please don't be mad, P'. You wouldn't let your friend fail, would you?

Arthit huffed, annoyed. Yes, yes, he would—especially if said friend had gotten himself into that predicament by playing games or goofing off instead of doing their work. His gaze flickered to Bright, who frequently needed their help finishing assignments that he'd left until the last minute, and sighed. Kongpob was right. Although he pretended otherwise, he wouldn't abandon his friends when they needed help, even if it was a situation of their own making. Still, that didn't diminish his annoyance at his plans being disrupted.

Arthit: ...
Arthit: Double Trouble closes at nine.
0062🌕: Then...can we study in your dorm instead?

He didn't answer right away. He'd wanted to surprise Kongpob with a cupcake at Double Trouble, but now they weren't even going there. Arthit pursed his lips. The last time they'd studied in his dorm, Kongpob had brought him cupcakes. He could do the same. It might even be more of a surprise if he gave it to him in his dorm instead of the cafe.

Arthit: Fine
0062🌕: 😘
0062🌕: Do you want me to bring you pink milk?

Of course he wanted Kongpob to bring him pink milk. He grinned, his mood brightening considerably at the thought of Kongpob showing up at his dorm with a glass of pink milk in hand. That sounded fantastic. However, he simply typed 'sure' and sent it off, purposely leaving out his actual level of enthusiasm. Kongpob didn't need to know how embarrassingly happy such a simple act made him. In that same vein, he'd never admit to how much he loved reading Kongpob's good morning texts either, but he hoped they'd continue. It was just too embarrassing.

With a beaming smile on his face, Arthit picked up his pen and began happily jotting down notes about the material to use in his essay, but after a few seconds, he noticed his friends staring at him with puzzled expressions. "What?" he asked.

"Do you really not know?" asked Tutah.

Arthit frowned, confused.

"You're acting weird as fuck." Bright put his hand on Arthit's shoulder, his expression grave. "I think you should see a doctor. You've clearly hit your head recently or something."

Arthit shrugged his friend's hand off his shoulder. "Fuck off, Bright. Get to work! I don't want to be here all night."

"Why? Got a hot date?"