The Whole Nine Yards

Chapter 30

Penn was looking for his nephew when Kai dashed past him. Then he saw his nephew run from the cafe.
What is with all the running today?

He was surprised when Arthit was pulled by 0062 to a secluded corner. Everything. He saw everything. Heard everything. His nephew is attracted to a guy. 0062. So this is why he was sitting with Arthit on his first day despite the fact that 0062 is a sophomore.

Now it all makes sense. For the past week that he was here, it seems that everyone is hiding something from him. Arthit behaves like he's walking on eggshells around him, too.

'I think this university prohibits public displays of affection even if it's in a secluded corner.' he addressed the two.

The young lovers just blushed.

'Un...cle.' Arthit said when he found his voice, pulling Kong to bow with him and greet his Uncle.
'Let's have dinner at our usual place. Bring your fann. ' he told the two and left.

Arthit doesn't know how to react. His Uncle saw them. Goodness, what did he see? What did he hear?
He glared at Kong.

'P...' Kong had started stepping back when he caught PArthit's glare.
'Why must you do that?' Arthit advanced to his retreating boyfriend, gone is the overwhelmed lover from earlier. Arthit's expression is now murderous.

' You were walking out on me!'Kong reasoned.
'So?'
'I needed to stop you!' Kong claimed.
'And you stopped me by...?'
'By what P?' Kong must not have any regard for his life as he still teased his boiling boyfriend.

'Shut up Kong! My Uncle saw us!' Arthit yelled.

Kong sighed. Arthit's fears are no joke after all.

'At least he didn't shout at us,' Kong consoled.
'What do you mean?'
'He could have reacted badly, pulled me from you or even beat me up." Kong said.
'Why would he do that?' Arthit is puzzled
'If he's so opposed as we both feared, I can imagine him doing that to me.'
'Maybe he's saving it for later. Then the police won't find pieces of your body after dinner.' Arthit surmised.
'WHAT?!'
'You and I know he has the nastiest temper.' Arthit said then walked ahead.

Kong cannot decide if he was joking or not. Truthfully, Arthit doesn't know either.

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When the two arrived, Penn has an unobstructed view of 0062 and his nephew. His nephew walks ahead and his fann was walking just a step behind. To the ordinary observer, they would appear to be just two guys entering a restaurant. After everything he saw this afternoon, tsk.

They bowed to greet him.
' I thought you weren't coming. I ordered.' he told the two who are sitting as far away from each other. Are they the same couple who ---. NO HE DOES NOT NEED THAT IMAGE OF HIS NEPHEW.

'How long have you been together?' he diverted.
'Since the end of the last semester.' Arthit answered.
'It wont be easy, Arthit.' He nodded.

They started eating and Kong moved to place meat on Arthit's plate and Arthit looked so uncomfortable. This will be difficult, indeed.

'And you were the one who punched Kai?' he continued.

From the uncomfortable fann, it seems the mere mention of Kai ignited a fire in Arthit's eyes. He nodded with conviction and said, 'He's meddling with us.'
' Oh.'

Arthit looked at his Uncle. Why is he like this? When is he going to yell at them? When Arthit can't take it anymore...

'Uncle, aren't you suprised that I'm with him?'
'No.' his Uncle answered in a heartbeat that Kong and Arthit looked at him in shock.
'Huh.?'
'Whenever 0062 is nearby, your gaze follows him. You looked like you will murder me when I told you I threw him out. You didn't look surprised when he denied you're his friend because technically, you're his fann. Don't get me started on the staring down contest between you and Kai when we...' Penn litanied.

'Uncle!' Arthit interrupted him.

Penn laughed.

Arhit looked partly stunned half horrified while Kong looked perplexed as well, less by what he heard but more from the sight of the notorious Prof. laughing.

'What?! Stop it,Uncle.'
'You thought you were being subtle?' Penn cocked his brow on his blushing nephew.

Arthit didn't answer. Why does Kong have to be here when his Uncle litanied all those?

'You forgot I raised you, right?'
'You're okay with this?' Arthit asked.
'Is this why you were short of being horrified when I came here?' Penn asked in return

He nodded. Penn looked at his nephew. From his stance, he knew that Arthit was bracing for the worse. He may not be a genius but his nephew has one of most volatile minds he ever encountered. Thus, he addressed him,

'Whatever your reason is, whatever your fears are, those are yours, this is your secret to tell and I respect that. I'm a monster professor, I know, but I'm your second father,too. Don't forget that.'

'Uncle...' Arthit cannot believe what he heard.
'Just don't kiss in front of me, I nearly washed my eyes with soap.' Penn added.

'Uncle!!' Arthit is full on blushing now.

Penn laughed. Yes. He is having the time of his life bullying his nephew like this. Penn has always been hard on him, he's not stopping now. Interestingly while the sophomore beside him looked surprised as well, 0062 is not reacting as dramatically as his nephew. Curious, very curious.

'How much did you see, Prof?' 0062 asked out of nowhere.

Penn hates 0062's guts. He is irked with him in the classroom, Mr. Goody Two Shoes always coming to the rescue of his friends. But he has to give it to him, this 0062 must have balls as a freshman to woo and land his senior nephew. Now, he just faced head on the question of what happened earlier. Not bad, 0062, not bad.

' Kongpob, do you have to ask that?' Arthit hissed.
'It won't change a thing, P.' 0062 countered.
' Ignorance of how much my Uncle saw is bliss on my part.'
'But I'm curious, P' 0062 pleaded.
'What good would it bring?' Arthit inquired.
'For one, depends on what Prof. saw, we can know the extent of public display of affection that we can and can not do in front of him?' 0062 explained.
'Kongpob!! You.Are.Pushing.It.' Arthit yelled.

Across the table, Penn was amused at the two who are bickering like an old married couple and are not even aware of it.

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Note:

I had fun writing this chapter. 😝