[Completed] The connection!

Chapter 6

Kongpob's POV:

After the talk with P'Arthit, I came straight back to my room. I didn't want to meet or talk to anyone. What have I done!?! I was more than dejected when I realised how uncomfortable P'Arthit must have felt, when I asked for his number. I really need to be more mindful of things. Though I am not a very impulsive person, I still need to learn to be more considerate.

The words he spoke, though said as a matter of fact, had profound meaning to it. I know, forcing an introvert out of his shell, is a very insensitive thing to do. But, I really wanted to know more about him, and did not want to give up even a small chance. The more I thought about our conversation, the more I wondered about how to refine myself, not by changing myself for others, but by trying to find a balance between being my true self and keeping others in their comfort zone, at least until they are willing to step out of it, on their own accord.

I started thinking of ways to make him more comfortable around me, so that he doesn't shy away from expressing himself. If I could help him, in any way, I would very gladly do it. But, the main question is - will he be willing to let me help him? Of course, I would never force my way into his life, now that I realise there is so much more to him, than what meets our eyes.

After figuring a few things out, I left my dorm, to buy my dinner. As soon as I reached the canteen, a familiar scene played by and I was reminded of the day we had first met!

He was sitting at a table nearest to the counter, scrolling through his phone. And, again, his table was the only one that had an empty seat. Unsure if I should approach him or just stand where I am, I was taking baby steps towards the counter, half expecting him to see me, but also not willing to risk another awkward encounter.

As if on cue, he looked up, and noticed me; looked around - not sure if it was to avoid me or if he was trying to see if any other table had seats. But when he realised there were none, he turned back to look at me. Signalling me to take the seat opposite to his, he started eating his dinner. I just thanked him and made myself comfortable, without disrupting his ripple.

We just sat there, enjoying each others' comfortable silence, with occasional glances. I usually eat at a fast pace, but today, I was in no hurry. Even if we aren't exchanging words, the exchange of gazes was too good to be missed. When I settled into the thought that, this is how our encounters are going to be, a realisation hit me.

It was such a rare thing, to enjoy someone's company, even through silence. Being able to sit in companionable silence with someone is like leveling up in a relationship. I looked into Arthit's eyes, to see if he was comfortable or bothered. I noticed how calm and composed he was. So this is it! This is how I am going to make him trust me, and be more comfortable around me. This is just perfect for both of us!

Arthit's POV:

What I expected to be an awkward exchange of words, ended up being something way more beautiful.

I have always appreciated silence. It is a powerful weapon, when handled correctly. And all I can think of now is, this silence - that Kongpob and I share, isn't empty - but full of unspoken beautiful words.

This unique connection that we have, is bringing us closer, without even having to try. And, this, is the answer to all my questions, about why it is easier with Kongpob but difficult with others. When I realised that, my heart became a lot lighter.

It is my interest in him, combined with his efforts to radiate the warmth within him; the earnest look in his eyes, that made me feel like he's my safe place. Though he is a bit fast paced, he never judged or even frowned at me, when I was anxious and unsure of myself. He might not have realised or consciously done anything - but not reacting to it, in itself was a big help, for me, in overcoming the awkwardness.

Even though I still am not ready to share my number, I definitely don't mind spending more time with him at all. I might even enjoy those times. When we were both done with our dinners, we just nodded at each other and left to our dorms. On my way back, I was wondering, if I'll be able to meet him everyday, during our dinner. But, because I am still too shy to ask him about it, I decided to come down for dinner, everyday, at the same time as today, to see if I get a chance to enjoy the 'coincidental' encounters, filled with his silent warmth again.

The next few days, were as perfect as they can be. We met each other a couple of times, everyday, at college and our dinners encounters were going as planned as well. A few days we shared a few words, a few days we just goofed around, most of the days, it was the beautiful silence that kept us in a bind. We slowly started sharing our thoughts, about college, studies and every other topic we were comfortable with, transcending from two awkward people, to two happy souls.

We even started waiting for each other, during the days one of us were late to dinner. We just couldn't get enough of the time we spent with each other and both of us, weren't ready to let go of our dinner dates.

Slowly and steadily, we became extremely comfortable with each other and that is when I decided, that may be, now I am okay, with sharing my number with him. I wanted to have more conversations with him, wanted to spend more time with him and get to know more about him. But how to go about it, is something I am still not sure.

Thankfully, since our meetings have mostly been after college hours, our social life or studies were never affected. Though my friends did notice the change in my attitude towards Kongpob, no one asked me anything and were really glad that I became more cheerful and less grumpy. Taking that as an advantage, if I share this entire Kongpob-saga with them, will they understand me?

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Thank you for reading! :)