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Part 25

So there I was sitting on the hard wooden bench next to Arthit, feeling very bored. I glanced at him, he was listening with full attention to the organizer who was explaining to all contestants about the rules. What a bore! Isn't it obvious what it would be? Simply that everyone would have a chance to answer the questions and that the first person who presses the buzzer would get to answer. 1 mark taken away for wrong answers and then the next contestant who answers correctly would get 1⁄2 a mark...blablabla... I didn't bother listening to him but I assumed that he would be saying something along these lines...

" ... ... Okay, now let's start. Question 1 is..."

I simply stifled a yawn and leaned back against the wall. Arthit was looking at me with big anxious eyes.

"Don't you know the answer Kongpob?"

"I do."

"Then press the buzzer!" I could see him almost jumping up in excitement.

"No."

"No?" He looked at me, disbelief evident on his innocent face. Finally, he got the picture. Arthit realized that I was refusing to take part in such a juvenile competition.

"... ... Question 2 ... ..."

The moment the announcer finished his question, Arthit's finger shot out as he pressed the buzzer. I looked at him in astonishment – he actually knew the answer?

Then he looked at me patiently and smiled, and I didn't miss that naughty glint in his eyes. I knew exactly what he was doing, I am not known to be a genius for nothing...I should have just left him to struggle on his own, but something...prompted me to help him out...

Fine...

I sat up and answered the question for him. And again, and again, and again...

So that was how we won the contest – Arthit kept pressing the buzzer and I answered every question that was asked. Strangely enough, a competitor managed to get the final question before Arthit. However, he answered it wrongly.

To my surprise, Arthit actually ventured to answer this question herself and he got it correct! Gosh, I was so surprised, I almost felt immense pride for him. Almost...

In the end, we walked off with the prize – a trip for two to some mountain springs...

❤︎

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE BOTH OF YOU BEEN?" Mike's angry voice and even angrier face greeted us when we "appeared" at the stall again. Instinctively, I moved closer to Kongpob Suthiluck, hiding behind him.

"CAN'T YOU BOTH READ THE TIME? YOU HAVE BEEN GONE FOR 3 HOURS, 3!!!!" He waved his fingers in front of us. "AND YOU WERE ALLOWED ONLY 1 – 1 HOUR BREAK!"

If he continued in this strain, I would bet anything that he would have a sore throat tomorrow or pass out in a heart attack. I marveled at the bored expression on Kongpob Suthiluck's face as he simply strolled back to the counter. It definitely takes courage to stand up to Mike in his present mood.

I hurried after him as Mike walked up to us, his voice threatening, "You will both be in charge of cleaning up the stall as a punishment..."

"Mike," that was Jessica's voice. "Look, Kongpob brought in so many customers to our stall, give him a break please?" She's trying to play the goodie good shoes role now...yuck.

Mike frowned at her but his frown wavered as she continued to smile brightly at him. "Please Mike, please..." She held onto his sleeve and I held back a very annoyed scoff.

"Okay," there was a smitten look on his face as he gave in to her. I sighed again, Mike, boy are you as hopeless as myself. Strangely, I was more sorry for him than angry at the unjust treatment doled out to Kongpob Suthiluck vs. myself...

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It was hours later and my back was aching from all the washing, as well as gathering up and disposing of rubbish, that I had been doing all this time. ALONE!

I groaned as I tried to push the heavy wooden table to one side of the stall – all my sympathy towards Mike had melted away and I was cursing him merrily.

I gritted my teeth and shoved with all my strength – I felt the table moving a little. Great! I shoved harder... Then with a loud creaking noise, the table overturned as I slipped. The next thing I knew, I was lying trapped between the floor and the table, my waist aching where the table had landed on me. I tried to move but I could not even wriggle my body – I was well and truly stuck. I resigned myself to my fate, staring at the sky filled with sparkling stars, hoping that someone would pass by soon and save me...

"What are you doing?" I could hardly believe my ears and quickly turned my head to see Kongpob Suthiluck staring at me in surprise.

"Kongpob, you've come back..." I had to stifle back a sob – somehow, he's always turning up to rescue me in bad situations.

Within moments, the table was back upright and a strong pair of hands pulled my aching body to a vertical position.

"Did you come back because of me?" I'm sure tears of gratitude were sparkling in my eyes as I looked at him.

"No, I came back because the night program was really boring."

Again, his emotionless words were like a cold bucket of water emptied over me. Thanks so much Kongpob Suthiluck, you just can't be kind to me, can you? :(

Anyways, I was still extremely grateful when he started to help me clean up silently. He probably felt guilty that he managed to escape punishment although he was the one who brought me away from the stall for so long. I was pondering so hard that I didn't realize that the hammer I was holding had slipped from my fingers.

"Arthit, watch out!"

Suddenly, a hard body crashed into me and I fell to the ground as the loud sound of shattering glass was heard. For a moment, I lay where I had fallen dazed. When my head cleared somewhat, I sat up slowly, noticing that the huge lamp had shattered near the spot where I had been standing. I realized that there was something heavy on top of me that prevented me from moving.

I looked down and saw to my shock that Kongpob Suthiluck was lying on me, his body covering mine – and he was not moving. I quickly turned him onto his back.

"Kongpob! Kongpob!" I called for him frantically as I stared at his pale face. His eyes remained tightly shut and I could see blood dripping from a large cut on his forehead. I shook him harder, panicking.

"Kongpob!" my voice broke and then, I burst into tears. Kongpob Suthiluck, you can't leave me, you can't, you can't...

❤︎

I heard these loud sobbing and wailing noises even before I opened my eyes.

As expected, there was Arthit kneeling next to me, sobbing his heart out. I reached out and tapped him gently on his shoulder, making him jump in fright. His big doe-like eyes opened wide for a moment, his pale face streaked with tears and then in a blink of an eye, he flung himself onto me, knocking the breath out of my body...Oooomphfff.

"Kongpob Suthiluck, you ... ... you're still alive ... ..."

Or that's what his muffled voice sounded like through his sobs. Unconciously I wrapped my arms around him, stroking his back gently to calm him down. He was hiccuping and sobbing uncontrollably and it made me forget the throbbing pain in my head and just focus on him instead.

"Oh course I am, stop crying."

Immediately, the sobbing and wailing stopped, but I didn't push him away just yet.

"Baka! Stop being so careless..."

I was going to scold him further, but unfortunately I turned and saw him trying to stifle his sobs as he wiped at his eyes, his slim shoulders still shaking. He looked adorable and sad at the same time and somehow, I didn't have the heart to reprimand him anymore.

I sat up as he went to get the first aid kit. He busied himself with the box, finally emerging holding some band-aids, a packet of disinfected cotton wool and a bottle diluted hydrogen peroxide. I sit there motionlessly as he reached out and gently cleaned the cuts on my forehead, gritting my teeth at the painful stinging sensation. However, his hands started trembling when he was about to put the band aid over the cut on my forehead. He was clearly quite shaken by what had happened.

I grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "I'll do it myself."

His face fell and I could see guilt shining in his eyes. With a few rapid experienced movements, I finished the job myself. I noticed that blood was still dripping from some of small cuts on his face. I was so busy trying to calm him down, I didn't even notice that he had got some tiny glass cuts as well.

"Bring your face closer to me."

His eyes widened at my command and he blushed slightly as he obediently moved closer to me. I started cleaning his cuts and gently placed the band aid over the deepest cut. I held his cheek to hold his face steady with one hand to do the job properly. His pale skin was as soft and smooth as rose petals and his huge doe-like eyes were fixed on my face the entire time. I found it harder to breathe or focus, so I tried to avoid looking at him and stared at the cuts instead.

After completing the task, I was about to move away when our eyes met and held a moment longer. Somehow my hand shifted position subtly, cupping his face gently as we were slowly drawn towards each other as if pulled by a magnet. I leaned in closer and closer to him, so close I could count all the long eyelashes on his eyelids and then, my eyes focused down on his pouty lips, so plump and crimson red, I wondered if they tasted as tempting as they looked.

I fought the incredibly strong urge to run my thumb over them...just once.

Just as our faces were about an inch away from each other...

"Arthit!"

We both jumped apart as a split second later, two of Arthit's friends burst into the stall. Those idiots...

"Come with us, now!"

"What happened Aya..."

But even before Arthit could finish his sentence, they had dragged him out and I quickly followed them, curious to know what had happened.

Secretly though, I was really glad that they had come when they did. I mean I almost kissed that Baka! Again!

Phew...that was a close call!

But there was this strange feeling in my chest that I deciphered as relief – it had to be relief. It couldn't be anything else, could it?

...

...

...

...

Or was it...

No...

It couldn't be...

Disappointment.

A genius like me would know.

I knew...

...

...

Gosh Kongpob, you really have become weak towards him.

❤︎

"... ... and finally here is our Festival Queen, Arthit Rojnapat from the F-class!"

My mouth fell open when Aya started to push me towards the stage.

I won? I won???

I won over Jessica???

Wait...

But how?

I didn't even apply for the contest!

I stumbled onto the stage somehow, a stunned expression on my face. Looking at the sea of faces clapping and cheering for me, I could not utter a single word.

"Baka! Arthit! Baka! Tennis baka!... ..." the loud chanting begun and students cheered for me happily.

Slowly realization sank in. No wonder – I have to thank the manga club for this unexpected turn in events. Apparently the anime was so popular that its popularity rubbed off on me as well...

"T-thank you so much!" These were the only words that I could say when I stood in front the microphone. Thank goodness eloquence was not one of the criteria that was required for being the Festival Queen. The applause didn't die down...

"Now, it's time for the Festival Queen to choose his King..." the MC announced.

???

0_0

Uhuh...I had to choose the King???

I didn't know of this criteria before!!!

Oh gosh, this is gonna be embarrassing...

I turned to look in the direction of my friends, noticing from the corner of my eye that Max was actually jumping up and down, gesturing violently in his own direction, obviously asking me to select him.

However, I had only eyes for one person at the back.

Wasn't it strange?

Almost as soon as I looked through the crowd, I saw his tall, lean figure casually dressed in black trousers and white shirt, the stubborn fringe that constantly fell into his eyes, the familiar look of boredom on his face as he stood with his arms folded across his chest.

Almost as if sensing my gaze, the dark eyes lifted and the moment they met mine, I felt my heart stop beating. I knew he would never feel the same way as I did, but I felt it so strongly for the both of us.

For me in that instance, the background noise faded into nothingness and I heard my voice speaking clearly into the microphone, "I choose Kongpob Suthiluck to be the Festival King..."

The crowd simply went wild and amidst the chaos, Kongpob Suthiluck somehow made his way to the stage, pushed by over-eager girls and guys around him.

I could see a frown on his forehead when he was shoved once too often. And I knew he was very reluctant to be called out like this and get all this attention.

However, the frown had faded from his face by the time he was standing next to me. And he actually looked...was that a smirk I saw in the corner of his lips?

No way...

I must be dreaming again...

So we stood silently side by side as everyone clapped loudly.

I wondered dreamily if this is what it would be like if I married Kongpob Suthiluck?

Regardless of what would happen in the future, I would always remember and cherish this one wonderful moment where we stood next to each other, the Queen and the King, as the applause and cheers went on as if for eternity...

❤︎