Choices II

~ 23 ~

Ming continued to play with his food, he had lost his appetite remembering how Phana had looked at him, tears pooling in his eyes. 

Phana rejected him, Phana had cast him away without giving him a chance... he must hate the older but seeing him sitting in his car broke him instead. They had made a conscious decision to stay away but that didn't stop him for yearning for the other.

"Do you not like it?" Yo's voice broke his thoughts, they were at a sashimi place for lunch. Both Yo and Ming had long lunch break and had decided to dine outside their campus. Ming gulped; he was supposed to be dating Wayo but there he was thinking about another.

"I am not hungry" Ming said softly, "you can have mine, let's get a bubble tea later"

Yo smiled as he took another bite "you want to order something else?" he looked around for the waiter, but Ming shook his head, "Na... I think I had my fill and all I crave now is bubble tea... maybe mango"

"You and your weird taste" Yo smiled but it didn't reach his eyes, he had noticed how Ming had been lost for some time now but he could not know why. They were supposedly dating for 3 weeks and except for the usual handholding or occasional hugs things have become weird unless they had company.

He had thought many times if they should break up and put a full-stop to this mockery, but another part of him kept arguing it has only been few days... and he could see Ming putting effort on his side as well – he had planned for movie dates, surprise dinners.

Ming chuckled, "I know right" he said as he gulped down water "I have this delicious meal in front of me and all I can think of is mango bubble tea" he laughed at himself and then suddenly paused looking at Yo with a guilty expression "what are you doing this weekend?"

"I have a test on Monday and have some assignments, but nothing else" Yo responded

"wanna go to the beach?" Ming asked "weekend after this, I will have to arrange for that camp, and weekend after that is when it will happen... so I might be busy for next three weeks. Let's do something fun this weekend"

"Just the two of us?" Yo asked to reconfirm, and Ming nodded, it was moments like this that gave him hope despite the confusion he felt.

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Phana frowned at his HoD, "But Doctor... I won't have time" he tried to plead but his professor shook his head.

"Sorry" he said with a smile, "but this will help you too... you are in your third year and soon you will start your internships... think about how good it would look on your resume. If anyone can manage, I know it's you Dr. Kongathanin"

"I really need to work on getting my grades up, then I have my internship applications not to mention our classwork... can you please reconsider. Am sure there are many others who can help" Phana explained again, he didn't mind the additional work but the fact that he would have to work with his junior moons is what was troubling him.

"but none are campus moons" Dr.Tharn said with a sigh, "and more important – isn't your father's hospital participating... I thought you would actually volunteer and here you are instead arguing with me"

"I really am overloaded.... Please" he was down to begging and he didn't care.

"How about this – I will give you exemption from the assignments and will treat this for your grade, I will also help with your recommendation letter. We really are in a fix; we need more funding and exposure for our research department and this event closure is a fundraiser" Dr. Tharn explained as Phana remained silent.

"I will take it as a Yes... so you will oversee the medical camp, coordinate with the campus moon committee and the hospitals from our department side" Dr. Tharn smiled in victory "I know you will do an amazing job"