It was around half past five in the evening, when I was done enacting my first scenario with Phud, the other finalist aside from me and P'Singto. Phud already left for home since he was done acting with both of us. What was left, was the much anticipated clash of P'Singto and me.

We were seated at the chairs outside the hall, facing each other and engulfed in complete silence, neither of us attempting to strike up a conversation with the other.

It was after a whole of ten minutes have passed, and when the dead air was too unbearable for me, that I stood up with a "I'll go to-"

"Who did y- Huh?"

It seems that both of us have started speaking at the same time. He looked up just then and we stared at each other with wide eyes.

"What...?", I wasn't sure of what else to say.

"What?", P'Singto folded his arms over his chest and looked at me with expectant eyes, clearly swallowing up whatever question that was at the tip of his tongue. That's a relief, since I needed an escape from here, now.

"Erm...I'll go to the washroom phi", I gave my most polite smile.

"Yeah sure", he nodded and looked down at his feet, which were tapping the ground furiously.

"I'll be in a minute...". I took my bag and quickly shot out from there, in the direction of the washrooms that were to the right of where we were seated.

"Right...", I faintly heard his voice drifting through the long passage.

I reached the washroom in record speed, let myself inside and shut the door. The sight that greeted me, on the mirror over the sink, had me wanting to bury myself six feet underground.

Due to my fair skin tone, whenever I'm angry or upset or embarrassed or- basically on any occasion that my facial muscles are applied with the least amount of extra strain, it turns itself into a full ripe cherry.

Like right now. It's as if all the blood in my body has flowed to my face and neck, and I haven't the slightest idea as to why I'm reacting so.

Am I angry? No. Upset? Naw! Embarrassed? Definitely not. Then why...? Must be all that running...

I couldn't afford much time to delve on these thoughts since the next session could start anytime soon. So I splashed my face and neck with the cool water, and let my skin return back to normal before opening the door to leave the washroom.

I had one foot and a shoulder outside the door when I noticed P'Singto at the end of the passage, standing and facing towards the stairs that led to the halls, so that his right half of the face was towards me. I barely registered the intentions behind what I was about to do, before I stepped back inside the washroom and kept one eye behind the slightly open door, quietly observing the oblivious senior.

There was a camera in his hand, one that wasn't so large but looked sophisticated.

He must be a professional photographer or something...

The rays from the dim orange light-bulb above, shone over his sleek, neatly styled hair like tiny shards of glass. His ever-neat white shirt was still crisp and smooth just the way it always is when he walks through the faculty gates in the morning, not a single crease to be seen. Those black trousers were clearly hiding long and strong legs, and was holding up his thin, but sturdy frame. He was one gorgeous man!

The camera was lifted upto his eyes. It took a few twists and turns of his body, a flash and an audible "click", after which he took the camera down and looked at whatever was captured. A second's pause later, his eyes started twinkling.

He then turned back, and angled his lens straight at-

WHERE I WAS SEATED MOMENTS AGO?!

Yes... And there was a flash and a click again. He looked down at the capture the same way as he did before. However, this time, I could clearly see all the way from here, a dazzling smile lingering on his lips, eyes holding a thousand stars.

P'Singto sat down on his seat and lifted the camera up, towards my seat once again. Flash, click, smile.

What goes on in this man's head..?

Everything was fine, until his next shot was angled towards the doors of the auditioning hall... Flash, click- CHUCKLE?!

That's it!

My back was already hurting from being cramped up behind the washroom door for god knows how long, and I've had enough observation for one night. So I walked out from the washroom towards our seats. I guess P'Singto must've heard me approaching, since his camera went 'swoosh' inside his bag.

Hah!

"So, you'll be doing Kongpob?", P'Singto striked the conversation as soon as I was back in my seat.

"Oh."

That's right...the roles... What was I even thinking!? The head hazer would obviously be playing the head hazer's role! It's true that I came prepared for Arthit's character, but I can't expect P'Singto to play Kongpob when I play Arthit, now can I?

P'Singto was clearly restless with my lack of an answer, that he had his eyebrows scrunched up and eyes roaming all over my face. There was no way around this, so I'd much rather lie and save face.

"Yep, I guess... Phi would play Arthit right?"

"Yeah!", P'Singto laughed, with evident relief written over his face.

I guess he must've come prepared only for the head hazer's character too... Cute...

I couldn't help but smile.

Then all at once, P'Singto glanced at me and was observing my face with a worried expression. "Do you want to play Arthit...?"

"Oh no, no!", I waved my hands in front of me and pasted the most sincerest smile possible on my face. P'Singto blinked twice in rapid succession, not convinced.

Well then.

"Actually... I did come prepared for Arthit". I saw him opening his mouth to interject, so I quickly held one hand up and continued, "...but I think I'd feel more comfortable playing Kongpob, if it's with you". I smiled, and this time my smile was sincere. I meant it, truly. "Please don't think much about it", I added.

I saw P'Singto's eyes widening a fraction. And then he smiled back, the warmest I've ever witnessed seeing on his face.

"Okay", he said through that smile, voice curling over that single word like a vine, brushing like a soft caress over my skin.

Who is this, and what has he done to m- OUR head hazer?!

After a while, we got up and started packing our stuff to get ready to go in if we were called. It seemed that the air around us had shifted after that ice-breaker, since we fell into a comfortable conversation thereafter.

"You'll head home straight after this?"

"Yeah Phi, you?"

"Same..."

After about ten minutes into the conversation, the door next to me opened, and the same lady who escorted us earlier appeared at the door. "Come in", she said with a sweet smile.

It was once she had gone back inside, when I just felt like...

"Let's not get stuck at the door, shall we?", I felt myself smirking.

I turned back to face P'Singto and he did the same, his eyes comically wide and mouth hanging open, obviously shocked to the core with my remark.

And then he laughed, like a small burst of joy escaping his lips. He shook his head twice to the sides, lifting the back of his hand to cover his mouth.

"Yeah... Not this time please", he said, mirth dancing around his twinkling eyes.

I laughed back.

This is a person around whom I can be myself...

We then entered through those doors that could without doubt, change our future, probably a future together, with traces of laughter still lingering in our souls.

At that moment, with my hand on the doorknob, I caught his eyes, he caught mine, and I saw pure bliss and happiness.

I loved this already...

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* To be continued *

1) It was around this time (a few days later in the timeline to be exact) that Singto bought his first own camera, since photography was (still is😍) his passion

2) As I said before, both Krist and Singto came prepared for Arthit's character, but Krist ended up playing Kongpob that day - by Krist and Singto : Peraya Party, 2019

3) Krist easily blushes when he's shy, and also goes red when he's angry, laughing, when crying and when he feels warm😂 It's quite evident cz his skin is fair.

(Among the millions of instances, these were the ones that popped up in my mind first thing)

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