6 Years After • Completed

xxi. Day 22

8 days.

8 days more and Kongpob will have to leave. He's going to go back to his fiancée, to Samorn, to his family. He's going to be a married man and start his own family.

8 days more and Arthit's life will be on pause.

Because frankly, he doesn't know himself what he's going to do once Kongpob left him. Maybe, he'll continue singing at the bar, he'll continue bonding with Faye, Irish and Sed, every single day of his life, like in the past before Kongpob came back, but it won't be the same anymore because he can pretend like nothing is happening– like Kongpob is not with his fiancée organizing their wedding, like Kongpob, is marrying someone who's not him.

8 days more.

Arthit has only 8 days more to be with Kongpob yet here he is spending the 22nd day, skipping his work, drinking his sorrow at a bar outside the resort Sed would surely have a fit if he knew his employee would rather spend his money at a different bar.

"Give me the strongest rum you have."

Arthit said with determination 2 hours ago.

People have come to talk to him for the past hours but Arthit pushed them all, he's not in the mood to flirt.

He's here to drink his sorrows away, to forget that his ex will return home.

Home.

Arthit has to fucking scoff at that. Once, before he heard Kongpob's story with Samorn, a plan had slipped in his mind, that he could turn this place Kongpob's new home, that he could be the one making Kongpob happy again and not Samorn.

That Arthit could be the one Kongpob wanted to return to and not... her.

That Kongpob could love him again. Like in the past.

Arthit chuckles sadly while he caresses the rim of his shot glass, pitying himself even more.

What would it be like if he followed his initial plan? Would Kongpob cancel his wedding? He should but Arthit doesn't think he would.

Samorn is lucky.

6 years ago, he had everything– Kongpob, his family, supporting friends– now he's all alone, in a place he can't call home anymore, suddenly, the ocean doesn't look appealing anymore.

Arthit looks up and blinks his tears away.

He thought he's drinking to forget yet it makes him more remember all his stupidity and bad decisions in life.

"Give me another glass."

The bartender sighs and shakes his head. "You're wasted."

"No, I'm not, I can still think of my ex," Arthit slurs. "Just give me, I'll pay."

/

It's past 3 am when Kongpob's awakened by his phone ringing. He yawns loudly before opening his eye a little, hand shooting out in the dark to fish his phone from the bedside table.

With his squinted eye, he sees the older's ID on his screen. Odd. Arthit didn't go to work tonight, Sed said he must have been busy with something.

Kongpob answers the call and softly greets, "Hey P'."

Kongpob has a smile on his face, closing his eyes again. Arthit must have been busy watching horror movies, now he's scared out of his wits, overthinking, and he wants Kongpob to distract him– it already happened many times when they were together, at least, even with Arthit's perfect guy, Arthit still finds comfort with Kongpob.