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Lost and Found

Part 6

I nearly freaked out when I saw the huge cast on Kongpob Suthiluck's arm the next day. Jessica had rather happily informed me that he had fractured his arm, and that apparently it was entirely my fault. Her words had hurt me much more than the angry slap that she delivered across my face.

It's strange that someone so gentle-looking like her would have such a powerful right arm.

"I'm so sorry Auntie, I really didn't mean to get Kongpob hurt," I hung my head very low, filled with remorse as I apologized to Mrs Kongpob when I got home. Before she could reply, I heard Kongpob walking up the stairs.

Immediately, I faced Kongpob and bowed, holding back my tears, "I'm so sorry, Kongpob."

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"Enough!" I bit out impatiently as once again I saw the back of his head almost below my knee level. Darn, how many times does he have to apologize for this! And he was crying again! If I had known, I wouldn't have bothered to catch him before he fell...

"It's an honor for a man to get wounded for his love."

To make matters worse, my mum had to enter the foray! "Even if he broke both his arms, it would be worth it for he saved the one he cared for!"

Touch wood, what a thing to wish upon one's own son!

Thank goodness I could tell from the disbelieving expression on Arthit's tear-straked face that he wasn't all too convinced. That baka was not a complete imbecile after all.

The intensity of his gaze made me feel extremely uneasy and a bit embarrassed. It was almost as if, in that instance, he managed to see right through me. And I was afraid how much he would be able to see. How much of my hidden emotions he would be able to realize...

I quickly curled up my lip in disdain before ignoring him completely as I continued my journey up the stairs.

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I was walking past A class the next morning when suddenly, a few hands grabbed me and the next thing I knew, I was sitting helplessly in a chair surrounded by senior students. Jessica was looking down on me with a sneer as the rest of the girls and guys of their class started blaming me for Kongpob's injury. My head was whirling from all the screams and accusations when I heard Max's voice as he burst into A class, and struggled to my side.

"Leave Arthit alone!" He yelled so loudly that I winced. " What's the matter with Kongpob? A real man shouldn't be whining to everyone about such a small injury!"

"I didn't say anything!" I wanted to die from embarrassment as Kongpob Suthiluck strolled into the classroom with a rather perplexed look on his face, but his eyes were throwing icy daggers towards Max. He calmly walked to his desk and sat down as Max rushed up to him.

"Stop making lame excuses! If you didn't say anything why did your entire class confront Arthit?" He yelled furiously.

"I really have no idea..." His calm reply was broken off as Max sized him by the lapels of his coat. Oh oh! Alarm bells started going off in my head as I ran up to them and tried to separate them before Max would get killed. I had no doubt Max was bound to lose this fight.

"Stop it Max!" I managed to push Max away. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I must teach him a lesson!"

"Baka..." Kongpob drawled insolently as he adjusted his coat. I held onto Max's arm more tightly as he made to move towards Kongpob again, huffing angrily.

"Say that again, you smart ass?"

"I didn't know that the word "baka" was too difficult for your extensive vocabulary. Do you need me to simplify that further?" Kongpob taunted him with that sweet husky voice of his and I nearly melted if I hadn't been the reason for this stupid fight.

Max was roaring with rage as I clung on to him tightly now with both hands.

"If it isn't for Arthit, I'd have beaten you up already!" Max screamed at Kongpob.

"Why are you getting so hot and bothered? Let me tell you that no matter how hard you try, I will always be more important to Arthit than you are to him! Do you think he's holding you back for fun? He's holding you back cause I would kill you right here and now if it wasn't for him!"

My heart was pounding wildly when I heard his words as it was the first time Kongpob acknowledged my feelings for him in public, but I saw that his words were accompanied by a nonchalant shrug, and the next thing he sat down in his seat, casually flipped open a book and was totally absorbed in it, ignoring us all gaping at him. He was making fun of me, of my feelings, my crush, my obsession with him, and it hurt me more than I wanted to admit.

By this time, Max was shouting insults at Kongpob and struggling so hard that I was having quite the trouble holding him back. Fortunately, the rest of the students had started hurling insults at both of us in turn, telling us to get lost. Max was soon distracted by these new targets and he began yelling at them with newly-found confidence.

I glanced at Kongpob Suthiluck, embarrassed and distressed at being responsible for this scene in his classroom. He looked up at me and obviously caught my distraught expression, for he turned back to his book with a frown. My heart sank at the evidence of his displeasure.

After embarrassing me like that in front of everyone, he didn't even bother to look at me. He really hated me that much huh...?

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Later that evening at dinner, I heard my father exclaim in shock, "OMG, what happened to your hand, Kongpob?"

"Uncle, don't you know what happened?" Daniel asked with a malicious look in my direction. I lowered my head, missing the warning glance that Kongpob Suthiluck gave his younger brother as he quickly cut in, "Oh I just hurt my elbow when I knocked into something accidentally."

"That's terrible! The pain when injuring your elbow is beyond description! I know because it happened to me once too. The pain must be terrible, right?" My father was filled with sympathy.

"Oh, it's not too bad..."

I saw Kongpob smile slightly at my father before turning to look at me with the forced smile still on his face. Was he trying to reassure me that he was okay? Or he was making fun of me again? I couldn't tell...

I immediately lowered my head, unable to face him, smitten with guilt and yet filled with admiration for his courage in hiding such immense pain.

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I wish they'd stop making such a fuss about my arm!

To prove to them how well I could function despite being injured, I took Daniel out to the park for a game of basketball. After a while, I was actually having fun as I started training Daniel to be the star player in his school.

He really isn't too bad for a kid who was only six years old. In fact you can say he's talent lies in basketball just as mine lies in tennis among other sports.

I caught the ball with my good arm each time and threw it back to him, making him catch and return the ball to me at different angles each time. In a way, I'm really quite proud of him.

After a while, I had that odd sensation of someone watching us play. As Daniel and I paused to pick up the ball, we both turned and saw Arthit sitting on a bench near the basketball court.

He had the biggest grin on his face and his hands were clasped together.

I saw Daniel's face darken and quickly threw him an "Just ignore him" look.

He complied reluctantly as we continued our game.

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For a moment, I felt awash in icy disappointment that Kongpob and Daniel completely refused to acknowledge me on the bench. Hey, I'm not transparent you know.

Well, at least he didn't turn me away and allowed me to watch!

No matter the situation, I always tried to be optimistic and soon cheered up as I continued watching them play. For the first time, I saw Kongpob Suthiluck completely relaxed and my heart warmed when he laughed together with Daniel as the ball flew to and fro between them.

I looked at the way he flicked his fringe from his forehead with his right hand in an impatient gesture, the rare smile that lit up his entire handsome face and... I felt my insides melt. It was as if the ice had cracked, letting in the rays of sun that warmed an icy winter morning.

I knew this was love...

Just then Daniel made a wild throw and the ball landed next to me. Given a chance to participate, I leapt to me feet and threw the ball back to them with such enthusiasm and wild strength that it landed in the bushes.

"Idiot!" called a disgruntled Daniel as Kongpob just let out his breath with a resigned sigh as I kept apologizing.

We all ended up hunting high and low for the basketball that appeared to have disappeared mysteriously...

I knew Daniel really treasured that basketball because Kongpob had given it to him after winning a match with it. That was why I, Arthit Rojnapat, ended up wandering around back at the park 9pm at night with a torchlight, still trying to find the ball.

In the midst of the search, another flashlight was shone in my face. I screamed in terror as I felt someone grabbing my arm. Immediately, I started kicking and struggling, recalling that horror stories of young boys found raped and murdered in parks.

I was about to meet my end and I hadn't even told Kongpob Suthiluck that I loved him!

I finally stopped struggling when I saw from the light of a nearby lamppost that my "captor" was a policeman.

"Ah ha! I have caught the culprit who is responsible for vandalizing the park!" He screamed at me angrily and ignored all my protests — I knew I was spluttering in confusion but still he should have listened to me — and began to drag me off to the police station.

"No, you don't understand, I was looking for a missing basket ball... do you hear me? I lost... no Daniel lost a basket ball and I'm looking for it...Please, listen to me..."

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I was strolling through the park, a bit annoyed with my mum for making me come out in the cold to look for that baka when I heard some noises and Arthit's desperate voice.

I quickened my footsteps in the direction of the sounds and saw Arthit struggling with a bulky policeman in the distance. What mess has the baka gotten himself into this time? Thank goodness mum had the foresight to send me to look for him. That baka was a magnet for trouble. I shook my head in resignation and walked up to them. I realized Arthit had spotted me because his jaw was hanging open and his eyes were as round as saucer plates. Kinda cute again.

"So here you are," I said as calmly to Arthit as if we were just having a normal conversation instead of standing in the middle of a freezing park where he was playing tug of war with a policeman. The policeman was rather rude and immediately turned on me when I opened my mouth, pointing a finger accusingly in my direction.

"He's your friend?" he growled at me.

"He's my brother," I lied smoothly.

"Brother?"

"He has a bad habit – every time he gets upset he will leave home. I have been looking for you everywhere," the last words were addressed to Arthit. I looked at him steadily, hinting for him to keep quiet and let me do all the talking. It was quite unnecessary actually. He was so shocked to see me there that he couldn't say a single word – all the better I thought.

"Stop giving your brother trouble..." were the policeman's parting words to a dumbstruck Arthit who quickly nodded.

Oh no!

I groaned to myself as he turned to me – again his eyes were shinning as brightly as stars and I recognized that silly calf-like infatuated look. "You-you came to look for me because you were worried?"

Baka! Did he really think I would come for him? Be his charming prince coming for his rescue?

Pfft, he really is delusional.

"This wasn't on my own free will. My mother threatened me..." I was quick to disillusion him. Better not let him have any hopes.

Sorely disappointed, Arthit's face fell as he turned away to continue his search for the missing basketball.

"Can't you be nicer to me for once?" he muttered under his breath.

"Just go home..."

"Just a short while more...Oooh! Kongpob Suthiluck!" He cheered excitedly in the bushes and I walked reluctantly up to him and saw, to my surprise, a badly slashed basketball!

Wow, maybe this idiot's luck was turning after all!?

"What should I do with it?" He asked me with big puppy eyes, holding the messed-up ball between dirty hands.

"Think for yourself..." I sighed, turned around and headed for home, leaving him to follow me or do as he wished.

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