Arthit and Kongpob Discover the Secrets of Waiting

Icy Cold Melting

The employees of Ocean Electric has noticed Arthit's renewed serious attitude when his boyfriend flew to Beijing to continue his studies. Arthit is still the good-looking procurement engineer that drops by the drink stall every morning to buy pink milk, but his radiant smile has become a rare find. He almost came back to the icy person that his co-workers have never met before.

It is evident now during their weekly meeting.

"...And so, if we just give our contract to Ravi Corporation, we can double our revenue and open up more fronts for trading. Additionally—"

Bzz bzz. Bzz bzz. Bzz bzz.

Arthit frowns, deciding not to interrupt Tod in his quest to prove himself. Secretively, he ducks his head to check his phone, trying very hard to not bang his head on the table when he sees the caller.

Sighing, he turns his attention back to the speaker, making a note in his planner to call Kongpob after the meeting. Besides, he's been kind of busy lately, and that makes him feel—

Bzz bzz. Bzz bzz. Bzz bzz.

He doesn't have to check to know who it is this time. Only one person is insolent enough to call him repeatedly. But why is Kongpob calling at this hour? He knows damn well that his boyfriend is at work and they have a scheduled "we-time" every night at nine o'clock.

He feels irritation—and fondness, because this is Kongpob, so how could he not be fond—swell up inside him. He lets some of it show on his face, which catches his manager's attention.

"Tod, excuse me. Arthit, if it's an important call, you can take it. We need a coffee break anyway. Let's meet in five?"

The employees around the table all relax their stiff shoulders, though none of them stand up.

Arthit gives an apologetic look to his manager, then to Tod, before tapping the green button on his phone.

"What is it?" he hisses into his phone, turning his seat around so that the people assembled in the room won't be able to see his face.

"I love you," comes Kongpob's voice, sure and warm, settling over Arthit like a blanket he couldn't shrug off.

"What did you do?" Arthit makes himself say, repressing the fond smile that tries to creep onto his face.

"Why do you think I did something? Can I not just call my boyfriend to tell him I love him? I guess they're right, romance really is dead—"

"Kongpob..."

"I'm not kidding! I woke up this morning, and I have to wear a tie today. Have I told you why I need to wear a tie today?"

"Kongpob..."

"Right! I already told you about my presentation. Anyway, so I was trying to wear my tie, and I remembered how you tied it for me when we attended P'Earth's wedding."

"Kongpob..."

"So, I was tying my tie, and I thought of you, and I was just hit with this... this wall of love, you know, so I just had to call you up—"

"Kongpob!"

"—and say I love you."

Silence on both ends pervades, only interrupted by the sounds of their breaths. Slowly, however, uncontrollably, a blush made its way onto Arthit's cheeks, breaking his cold exterior.

"I really have to go," Arthit says, feeling helplessly smitten and warm down to his bones— "But I love you too," he whispers, before forcing himself to disconnect the call. His fondness has overcome his irriration that he's so widely smiling right now.

Taking a deep breath, he turns towards the rest of the room, only to find his co-workers, including his manager, still with him, all looking at his suddenly bright face.

"I thought you all went on a coffee break?" Arthit says, a bit too shyly, making his fond smile vanish into a thin scowl.

"I heard Mr. Sun said 'I love you too' to Kongpob!" Tod yells in full glee. "And he finally smiled!"

If the blooming redness in his cheeks doesn't leave for the rest of the meeting, then denying Tod's unnecessary announcement is of no use right now.

"Arthit, give me Nong Kong's number. I will ask him to call you whenever I see you frowning."

"P'Earth!"