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Part 35

"Arthit, you're turning twenty soon! Your birthday's on the 18th of this month, isn't it?" Mrs Suthiluck greeted me cheerfully when I entered the kitchen.

"Yes, but it's only the beginning of the month, Auntie..."

She completely ignored my comment. Instead, I heard lots of slamming of cupboards as I watched her rummage around the kitchen for no apparent reason.

"Mrs Suthiluck, are you alright?" I gazed at her in concern. Other than the fact that she was rather flushed, she seemed fine.

"I'm fine, Arthit. Oh, your father was looking for you." It was almost she couldn't wait to push me out of the kitchen. I was extremely puzzled by her weird behavior but soon put it out of my mind.

A few nights later, I was going down to the kitchen for a drink.

"What else should we get?" I heard Mrs Suthiluck talking.

"It's enough, it's enough! You'll spoil Arthit..." I heard my father protesting. After eavesdropping for a few minutes, all was revealed. The overly kind Mrs Suthiluck was planning a birthday party for me. I whooped silently before creeping back to bed.

"Did you already found out?" The very next day, somehow Mrs Suthiluck had found out that I already knew about the party (I suspected my dad had seen me eavesdropping them on the stairs and told her). I hemmed and hawed, not knowing if I should fake ignorance to please her.

Suddenly, she grabbed me by the arm. "Well, maybe it's better you know. Let's go visit Kongpob, I want to ask him to come as well."

Despite my struggles and protests, before I knew it, we were standing outside his apartment (just a side note to myself: remember, Auntie has an iron grip and the strength of an elephant).

I watched in silence as Auntie started telling Kongpob excitedly all about the party the moment he opened the door to his apartment.

"So remember Kongpob, it's on the 18th of this month..."

"Urm ... ..." My heart sank to my boots when I saw that he was trying to say something to his mother – probably about not being able to go. He definitely didn't look excited about it.

What were you expecting, Arthit?

"You are coming and that's final. Make sure you don't forget."

After hearing that note of finality in his mother's voice, Kongpob Suthiluck kept his mouth shut and simply nodded sternly.

OMG! Kongpob Suthiluck is coming to my birthday party! OMGOMGOMG!

Satisfied that she had achieved her "goal", Mrs Suthiluck pulled me merrily back towards the car. "Let's go and do some shopping, Arthit! I still want to get more streamers to fix up the sitting room!"

I ran after her helplessly – she was dragging me by my arm again (damn that fragile-looking woman was damn strong – leaving Kongpob Suthiluck to stare irately after us...

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"Arthit," I turned to see Aya and May waving at me.

"Hi!"

"Hey, your aunt invited us to your birthday party too! We're coming of course, but remember that we have a test the next day, so we can't stay for too long. You, yourself too for that matter."

I sighed, having totally forgotten about the exam on the 19th. Well, make hay while the sun shines. I'd better study now so that I can enjoy myself at my party later. Reluctantly, I started to drag myself to the library...

Two hours later, I found myself staring at the same page in the book – somehow, the words did not appear to be sinking into my brain. Study, Arthit! Focus! Concentrate!

I tried to obey the commands of my brain. However, somehow I wasn't very successful. I stood up and started stretching. As I was twisting to the left, I froze. Hang on!

That familiar tall figure, broad back and dark hair – doesn't it seem very much like Kongpob Suthiluck?

0_0

It is him!!!

Immediately, I headed off in his direction.

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I was totally absorbed in the book I was reading, when I heard the sound of footsteps approaching me. Through the corner of my eye I saw Arthit approaching me with a huge grin on his face.

Not again!

I groaned silently as I turned my back to him, clearly hinting that I didn't want to be disturbed. Of course, he wasn't daunted at all. He had never been. I heard the scrapping sound of the chair across from me as someone sat down at the table opposite of me. I pretended to be totally engrossed in my book. However, the feeling of someone watching me wouldn't go away and my discomfort grew.

"What do you want?" I finally put down my book and looked up, scowling fiercely at the beaming face across from mine.

"Are you studying for the exams?"

"No."

"No?" That baka sounded surprised. "What are you reading then?"

"Nothing that you'll understand." I know I was sounding rude again, but darn I just wanted him to go away so that I could resume my reading in peace. I simply detest being interrupted and I didn't have many moments alone.

Before I could do anything, he lifted the cover of my book and froze.

"'The Human Anatomy?' Kongpob, do you want to be a doctor???"

I stared at him with an amused smile on my face. If he opens his eyes any wider, his eyeballs are going to pop out for sure – I know that's not very scientific but it really did appear that way at the moment.

"No, I'm reading it for fun."

"FOR FUN???" His voice had risen inevitably.

"Ssh! Be quiet! This is a library..." I hissed at him quickly. At this moment, I saw Kystal walking up to the table.

"Kongpob teacher!"

"Hi Krystal."

"I was stuck at a problem when I saw you around. Would you mind teaching me?"

"No problem let me have a look..." Oh it was a calculus problem. I started to revise the basic calculus concepts with her. Occasionally I couldn't help but look up and every time, I saw Arthit staring at us with a dazed expression in his eyes. Quite obviously we had lost that baka somewhere along the ways of basic calculus concepts.

"I see, thank you so much! And by the way, do you know what time is the next practice to get ready for the tournament?"

"Next Friday," I replied and then we started chatting about the upcoming tournament. Small as she looks, Krystal is one mean player. She even beat her elder sister Jessica during the tryouts and ended up being my partner for the tournament.

"Kongpob Suthiluck, I'm going to be on the back-up team." That was Arthit speaking in a low voice, trying to catch my attention.

I quickly turned to Krystal. "Make sure you don't get injured..." No way was I going to play with Arthit again! The memories of him being my tennis partner still gives me nightmares.

"What do you mean by that!??" Arthit spoke up in shock, gripping the edge of the table before me.

Both Krystal and I blithely ignored him. Come on Arthit, I don't have to spell it out for you, do I?

"And Kongpob, can you tutor me the day before my exams?"

"When is that?"

"It's on the 18th of this month..."

"No!"

Before Krystal could finish his sentence, Arthit cut in vehemently. Both Krystal and I were taken aback by the urgency in his tone and as we stared at him, he flushed to the roots of his hair.

Damn, whenever he blushed, he looked double his usual cuteness...

"Why?" Krystal asked Arthit with a puzzled look on her face.

"Er ... er ..." His mouth was agape, eyes flickering around nervously and he turned a darker shade of red when our eyes locker in an intense stare, he couldn't seem to force the words past his throat.

"It's fine with me," I decided to take matters into my own hands and end his agony. To my surprise, Arthit visibly flinched from my words as if from a blow in the gut. I tried to ignore it and started chatting to Krystal again, but I observed the hurt expression in his eyes and the way they were filling up with tears as he stumbled blindly away from the table, picked up his books and exited the library.

Of course I remembered it was his birthday on the 18th, but the cold words escaped my mouth before I could stop it.

Damnit...since when do I feel so damn nervous around Arthit. And he did look very hurt by my words. Maybe I did go too far this time?

"Kongpob...Kongpob?" I didn't notice that I had fallen into deep thought until Krystal's voice roused me.

"Huh? Sorry?"

"Oh, it's nothing. You must be busy, so I'll leave you to read, see you!" She waved to me and left, leaving me to ponder about what had just happened...

...and whether I should leave it as it is or...

...fix it?

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I was getting my lunch in the canteen later, ignoring Max blabbering as usual – what an idiot – when I saw Nat getting his food as well.

"Nat." I called out for him, he turned and was visibly surprised when he saw me addressing him. After all, we don't really know each other and I have never approached him voluntarily, except for the time when I was trying to stop him and Max from killing each other unnecessarily. We hadn't spoken since.

"Hi Kongpob...Umm...how is Arthit?"

"He? He should be fine – he's always like that." I shrugged.

"That's because you never notice him." Nat spoke coldly, looking at me with obvious distaste.

Well, I can't blame him, I did cause him and Arthit to break up their "fake" relationship...But in my defense, I just had to do it, I couldn't handle seeing him around Arthit.

With that airhead Max, it was much easier to tolerate, cause I knew Arthit didn't have any affections towards him, but Nat was actually smart, kind and handsome, and he spoke to Arthit sweetly, too damn sweetly for my taste, so I just...just had to do it.

To make sure Arthit's heart wouldn't waver.

Not now when I have finally realized—

No, no...not now.

I shook my head, forcing away those crazy thoughts that had been circling my mind since...our 2nd kiss...no, before that...for a long time.

"You know, I was wondering if you could do me a favor." I spoke to him politely, still surprised at what I was doing.

"Me?" Nat looked really surprised by my request. Trust me, I was equally surprised as he was. However, he recovered really quickly. He's not the smartest in his entire year for nothing. "Sure, if it's something I can help you with," he looked at me curiously.

"Are you free on the 18th of this month?"

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