a sprinkle of rainbow • Completed

a bright plan

Summary: Kongpob wants to move on and gives up on liking Arthit, but before he did, he enlists help from an unlikely senior.

//

"I give up. I can't do this anymore." Kongpob sighs to himself and slumps on a bench, hands instantly washing the frustration off his face.

"Can't do what?" It's Bright. Kongpob hasn't realized his senior is there beside him, or anyone for that matter, and though they're not that close to share their woes in life, Kongpob finds himself sharing his frustrations to Bright.

"Liking P'Arthit. He's never going to like me back, it's never gonna happen P'. I need to accept my cruel fate."

Bright tuts and winds his arm around his junior, pulling him closer. Kongpob remains covering his face. "Nong, you can't just give up. Arthit's reaction is expected because you're doing this all wrong."

That has Kongpob looking up at Bright. Wrong? What the fuck is Bright talking about? Kongpob's hell-bent on courting Arthit, he's almost given him a factory of pink milk and that's still wrong? Hell.

"What do you mean wrong? I've done everything for P'Arthit to like me but I haven't progressed a bit," Kongpob sighs. "I'm the problem here."

Bright chuckles and shakes his head in pity, his face is painted with an expression as if he knows something Kongpob doesn't. Kongpob throws him an offended look.

"Yeah! You are the problem because you look too interested in him, people don't like that."

Kongpob blinks. "What?"

"People don't like it when they're being chased after because it's like being easy to get. People love challenges but people also hate being ignored."

Kongpob tilts his head. What has got to do with his problem? "I'm not following you P'."

"Have you heard the psychology of ignoring someone?"

"No."

Bright smiles. "Good. I've read somewhere that in order to catch someone's attention, you have to purposely ignore them. It's reverse psychology."

"How?"

"Look at it like this, Arthit knows you like him but if you suddenly stop giving your attention, that will make him think a lot. He's going to be thinking something's wrong with him that got you suddenly disinterested, Arthit's going to be thinking of you a lot because it's going to bother him so much that the annoying junior who pesters him too much is gone,"

Bright's smile widens. "And while Arthit's thinking of you, he's going to realize that maybe he does like you too because he keeps on thinking about you. See? Now, Arthit likes you back. It's as simple as that."

Kongpob blinks. Everything's still unclear to him but that is to be expected since it's Bright he's talking with. He's not really sure why he's still talking with Bright.

"I'm sure that's not how love's supposed to work."

"Do you still want my help or not?"

Wait, since when did Kongpob ask for Bright's aid? But then again, Kongpob is desperate already.

"Well, what are you suggesting I do P'?"

"Ignore Arthit, as simple as that."

"No P'! That's never gonna happen. I can't ignore P'Arthit! It's P'Arthit!"

Bright shakes his head and stands to leave but Kongpob stops him because again, he's really desperate.

Bright sighs and grabs Kongpob by his shoulders, shaking him a bit. "Nong, this is tried and tested, okay? Believe me, ignore him for a while. I'm going to tell you about our next steps. Next thing you know, Arthit's the one chasing after you."