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Part 28

After around fifteen minute's walk, I saw them enter this large elegant looking apartment building together. They disappeared inside and soon a light lit up in one of the 2nd floor rooms.

Dread clutched at my heart with its icy fingers.

They are living together!

The thought flashed through my brain, tearing my heart into a million pieces. I remained in the freezing cold long after, unwilling and unable to believe what my eyes had just witnessed.

When I lifted my hand to rub my eyes, I realized that my cheeks were all wet – tears had seeped out unconsciously. Overwhelmed by the pain and the shock, it was pitch dark when I finally made my way home slowly, wiping at the tears in my eyes, unable to erase the pain in my heart.

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"Welcome home, Arthit!" Mrs Suthiluck cheerfully greeted me as per normal when I stepped into the house.

"Hi Auntie." Even I was slightly taken aback by my lack-luster tone and red puffy eyes. Immediately, she popped her head out of the kitchen and looked at me anxiously.

"Are you alright, Arthit? You look a bit pale. Would you like me to prepare something for you or would a bath make you feel better?"

Touched at her concern, I tried my best to muster up a smile. "I'm fine, Auntie. I'll probably go and sleep early today – I'm just a bit tired."

The moment the door shut behind me, the tears that I had been suppressing for so long rolled down my cheeks freely. It was as if a dam had burst. I simply collapsed onto my bed and wept my heart out, my entire body shaking from the violence of my sobs. The only thought in in my mind was that I had lost Kongpob Suthiluck truly and irrevocably – that I had lost him forever. The stabbing pain in my heart was worse than a thousand knives. Even the thought of death crossed my mind, what would it be but simply an intensification of the darkness that my world had fallen into? I lay there motionless, wishing I'd fall asleep to forget the pain even if for a moment...

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The sound of breaking glass greeted me when I entered the dining room the next morning. A glass had fallen from Mrs Suthiluck's nerveless hand. She was staring at me in absolute shock. I turned and noticed the same expression reflected on everyone's face as they looked at me.

"What happened, Arthit? You're so pale and look as if you have aged ten years in one night! Have you been studying too hard?" I tried to force a smile on my lips.

"No Auntie, I just didn't get a good night's sleep."

"If my brother was here and saw your face now, he'd probably die of a heart attack." Daniel remarked nastily with a smirk on his face.

I was too weak to reply him with a fight, so I gave in easily instead. "Yeah. You're right."

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I couldn't believe my ears when I heard his words. What? That's all? No further argument? Just a simple "Yeah. You're right"? Never did I expect that Baka to agree with me so peaceably. I was actually warming up for a fierce verbal battle.

Geez, my brother's absence does affect him terribly. Feeling slightly ashamed of myself, I kept quiet and refrained from teasing him any longer.

"Arthit!" I heard my mother calling for him.

Strangely enough, he had left for university without even touching his breakfast – this has never happened before. A frown ceased my forehead as I sat down to partake my own breakfast.

What happened to Arthit?

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"Kongpob?" I lifted my head to see Jessica standing in front of me.

"Yes?"

"Do you know if there is something wrong with Arthit?" My brows furrowed at Jessica's unexpected question. "I mean he hasn't been coming into the restaurant at all for the past few days, and he was coming every day previously."

That was quite true – come to think of it, I haven't seen Arthit for more than three days. This was strange...

"He also hasn't been coming to my English class..." Jessica continued hesitantly, but I didn't listen anymore. I found myself lost in contemplation, wondering what had happened to Arthit to wrought such a drastic change in him...

Is he sick?

"Mike."

There was a surprised look in his eyes when I actually addressed him at the tennis practice. "Where's Arthit?" He looked even more surprised that I cared – this was after all the first time that I have actually asked him about Arthit.

"Well...actually I was wondering what had happened to him myself. He hasn't been coming to training this entire week."

His words were still ringing in my ears when I walked off feeling a trifle worried at Arthit's abnormal behavior, wondering what exactly had happened to him.

And why I felt so worried about him.

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One moment, I was wandering around campus with Aya and May, listening to their chatter rather listlessly. The next, I found myself on the floor, my head on Aya's lap whilst May was kneeling at my side, fanning my face with her notebook. They both were staring anxiously at me, heaving a sigh of relief simultaneously when I looked up at them.

"What happened?" My voice sounded rather weak even to my own ears.

"You fainted." Aya said worriedly. "Arthit, what has happened? You haven't been yourself lately – you're consistently pale and look at the amount of weight that you've lost! Every time we ask you, you tell us that you are fine. I'm not going to accept this lame answer anymore."

"If you still treat us as you friends, do tell us so that we can at least try to help you. Does this have anything to do with Kongpob?" I lifted my head as soon as May mentioned his name. Instantly, tears sprang into my eyes and I sniffed a little.

"I'm giving up on Kongpob Suthiluck..." I felt as if I had just pronounced my own death sentence aloud. Even though I had finally reached that decision, there was something permanent about voicing it out to others. I felt a sharp pang in my chest when I said those words.

"WHAT?" Two pairs of eye widened simultaneously as they stared at me incredulously.

"It's true," I was trying my best to hold back my tears. "I've got no chance anymore – he's fallen for Jessica and is living with her."

I quickly stood up and ran to the bathroom before embarrassing myself by bursting into tears in the middle of the corridor. My fainting fit had caused a minor commotion and I didn't want any further drama. I left both my friends transfixed as they stared after my departing figure with worried expressions. I was touched by their concern, but with my inability to sleep or eat, it was not surprising that my body finally rebelled...

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"Daniel," I waved at my younger brother who was running towards me at a fast speed, partially dragged by an excited Chibi who sprang up and started licking my face. I smiled and patted the excited puppy. Geez, he has grown indeed – no wonder Arthit looked so terrified when he was describing his current size to me. My smile faded slightly as I thought of him and recent news of his weird behavior.

"How have you been, little brother?"

"I've been good. What about you?" Daniel asked me in turn, giving me a big hug.

"I've been coping well since your last visit to Sotus."

He flinched, embarrassed. "That was mama's idea – she refused to let me go if I didn't wear the sunglasses and the wig, and that Baka supported her. So what could I do?" He protested indignantly and I chuckled.

" ...but he's been really weird lately..." His next few word caught my attention.

"He?"

"That baka, who else? He hasn't been eating his meals – okay, he barely touches his meals. Mama's very worried about him and he's lost quite a lot of weight in a short time. I wonder if he's on some kind of new diet? Anyway, he shouldn't make mama worry like that..." He paused, looking at me, contemplating in silence if he should say anymore. I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"Mama says it must be your fault," He said a little reluctantly.

Immediately, my eyebrows descended into a heavy frown. Why on earth does my mother pin every single bad thing that happens to Arthit to me? I'm her own flesh and blood! I shook my head, frustrated and angry at this turn of events – what on earth did I do now? Why is it always my fault?

"Why did you ask to meet me?" Daniel broke into my thoughts.

"I wanted to see you and Chibi," I smiled at Daniel and convinced myself that this was the sole reason for calling him. After all, I was really fond of my kid brother and this little dog that is trying enthusiastically to wash my face for me...

However, I knew there was another reason that I didn't want to admit aloud.

I wanted to hear the truth about Arthit from Daniel.

And now I confirmed it. There was definitely something serious going on with Arthit and I needed to know what exactly.

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"Kongpob Suthiluck!" I turned to see two girls looking at me with rather hostile expressions. The faces looked familiar – oh these two were Arthit's friends and classmates who visited our house and came with Arthit to ask me how to solve the mathematics problems. Having placed their faces, I looked at them, my interest piqued – perhaps the mystery of Arthit's odd behavior is about to be solved.

"Please step outside with us."

Obligingly (for my standards), I followed them out to a corner of the university grounds.

"HOW COULD YOU TREAT ARTHIT SO SHABBILY!"

My jaw almost dropped when one with short hair attacked me immediately.

"What did I do?" I asked calmly, knowing very well what it was about.

"You KNOW too well what you did!" The long hair girl was frowning fiercely at me too.

"Ladies, why don't you tell me exactly what I did so that I can confirm or refute my actions? I assure you I have no idea what you are talking about." As the initial shock over, I was back to my coolly analytical self.

Somehow, my lack of emotions roused the short hair girl further. Barely had I finished the sentence, she burst into this wild tirade of what a terrible person I was to have done this to Arthit. As I stared at them in shock, I still couldn't understand what I had done to cause such a huge mess...

But after a few minutes of them screaming at me, the "this" was finally revealed. Light dawned on me when she mentioned about how Arthit saw me leaving the restaurant with Jessica while she waited outside for me in the cold, how I could have dropped Arthit like a rock and gone to live with another girl at XXX Lane, XXX building, and oooh how cruel, insensitive and heartless I was...

My eyes widened considerably towards the end of her speech I assure you, especially at the accusations of me living together with Jessica. The nerve! I would never live with her...

"Arthit has finally given up on you after all these years, because he believes that he no longer has any hope in winning you over. This time, you've broken his heart completely," these last quietly spoken words by the long-haired girl after her friend had stopped, hit me with the force of a tornado. She threw me a look of disgust when I simply stood there, unresponsive. Then she pulled her friend away and left in a hurry, not wanting to be in my awful company any longer then she needed.

"So that's why..." I muttered to myself as I looked at their rapidly disappearing figures.

I should have known that anything that affected Arthit so drastically would indeed be linked to me.

As I stood there, the long-haired girl's voice rang in my head again.

" ... ... Arthit has finally given up on you after all these years because he believes that he no longer has any hope in winning you over...

...This time, you've broken his heart completely..."

...

I kept thinking about Arthit...

...wondering why he was taking this so seriously without even confirming the truth with me...

...

...

...and why was I so hurt by the mere thought of him giving up on me...

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