07. Sympathy

"I'm an evil person who screwed up,I know you are hurt."- ไม่มีสิทธิ์ (Sympathy) by Gene Kadisit

•••

Three days had passed from the last time Win met with Bright. He was in GTV building again today and waiting for the singing class to start, so he sat on the sofa in the free area to play with his phone. He was not alone, but not with Mix either. Today, he was with Tay Tawan who he crossed path in the parking lot coincidentally.

"When is your class starting?"

"I still have an hour khrab." Win replied while opening a pack of sandwich he just bought on the way there.

"You have not had your breakfast yet?!" Tay was surprised. "It's 10 AM now, not too early to have a breakfast before coming here."

Win grinned. "I woke up late khrab, Phi. I was in a rush."

Win bit the sandwich. He knew his senior was still watching him, but he prefer ignoring to acknowledging it.

"Is Ai Bright still angry with me?"

"Huh? Angry with Phi, khrab?" Win forgot about the argument. "Why is he angry with you?"

Tay smirked. "Because of you, perhaps?"

Win was in silent for a second, and then he remembered how he separated the two. "Oh. P'Bright said nothing about you."

"Hmm. Is that mean he is not angry with me?"

"I don't know about that, Phi." Win did not take the question seriously because he was eating.

Tay knew his place and was fully respected the hungry junior who was eating with all his heart, so Tay stopped inviting Win to chat. But the view that was caught by his eyes, pushed him to interrupt Win again. "I guess, you also don't know about what he js doing right now."

"Khrab?" Win was confused, so he followed where Tay's eyes were looking at and he found Bright was walking toward them. "Aw, P'Bright. Sawasdee khrab."

"Long time no see."

Win furrowed his eyebrows. It was only three days from the last time they met.

Tay could only shake his head, watching the two act and react.

"Sawasdee, P'Tay."

"Hmm. Wasdee." Tay answered Bright's greeting with a nod.

Bright sat beside Win, did not say anything until the junior finished the sandwich.

"Any class?"

"I'm attending public speaking class today."

"Where is Ai Mix?"

"P'Mix already attended last week." Win replied. "Are you alone khrab, Phi?"

"No, I'm with P'Toy."

Win nodded. The three of them were in silent for a moment. Win chose to play game in his phone and Bright watching him closely.

"Are you not angry with me, Ai Bright?"

Win was surprised when he heard Tay finally brought up the topic. He held his breath and put down his phone slowly. Were they gonna quarrel again like last time? Win wished he did not sit between them right now.

Bright changed his focus to Tay instantly. "I have never been angry with you in the first place, Phi." He said. Thanks to his friends for telling him that he was the one acting weirdly.

"Oh, really? How unfortunate. I wished you were angry at me so I can warn you about something."

"What are you implying, Phi?"

"Well," Tay shrugged. "Don't you ever being rude and sulky toward someone like Nong Win. He is too soft."

Win automatically defended himself. "Wait. I'm not soft."

"You are." Bright was on Tay's side this time, making Win withdrew from talking. "I've done self evaluating, Phi. I'll treat him better from now on."

"P'Tay, P'Bright is always like that and I have no problem at all khrab." Win was showing support for Bright. "It's ok, P'Bright can behave as usual."

Tay chuckled. "Anything you say." He gave in. "Also, Ai Bright, if you think I am interested in Win, I have to say yes, I am interested in him."

Bright was stupefied.

Win turned his head to Tay with his eyes widened. He was shocked with what he just heard. "Phi... What are you talki-"

"But it's not in a romantic way." Tay added. "Look! He is so soft, isn't he? Especially when he is with you. On the other hand, you are so sharp and mean toward him. Actually, you both are interesting. But the way you treat him makes me want to protect him."

"Phi, I'm still here na. Why are you talking like I am not here? Am I invisible khrab~?" Win asked awkwardly.

"In other words, if you can't protect him as a senior, I will do it." Tay said to Bright, ignoring Win.

Bright exhaled heavily. "You are right, I'm not acting normal toward him. I'll fix it."

"You don't need to, Phi-"

"Great." Tay cut Win off. "Don't disappoint me and your friends." Tay got up and waved his hands to Win and Bright. "I gotta go. Win, don't come late to your class. 30 minutes to go."

"I'll go there after this khrab."

"Talk to you all later." Tay walked away when he saw Off getting out of the elevator. He went with him.

Win was able to breathe in relief now because Tay had gone and no one would ask Bright a burning question anymore.

"Why did he know when your class will start?"

"He asked me before."

"Were you together for a long time?"

"I met P'Tay in the lobby khrab."

"Umm." Bright understood. "I'll walk you to class. Come on."

"You don't need to, Phi."

"I want to. Can't I?"

Win clammed up. He stared at Bright for a moment. Bright stared back at him. Both were blank and in silent.

"Why are you staring at me?" Bright ended the silent moment. "Am I rude to you again? You can tell me if you are not comfortable."

"I've never felt uncomfortable around you, Phi." Win confirmed. "Don't take P'Tay seriously."

"But he was right..." Bright said. "...about how soft you are."

"Phi..." Win's face scrunched. He crumpled his mouth, as if he held back his tears.

Bright laughed. "Stop making that face. People will melt away."

"Oh!" Win changed his facial expression immediately. "Do you melt, Phi?"

Bright shrugged. "Damn you, Ai Win. I won't answer! Come on. Get up from your seat. Go to class."

Win smiled. A part of him was sad and curious about the answer, but another part of him was glad that Bright did not reply the question because any answer would not do Win any good.

•

The two-hours-long class Win attended was finally finished. He got out of the room with Kay and Luke. They were still excited with the new lesson they got today. Luke had to go somewhere else so he left Win and Kay talking in front of the room.

"Are you going somewhere after this khrab, P'Kay?" Win asked. "Let's go to cafe in the ground floor and discuss more about this lesson."

Kay already nodded at Win's invitation but then he knitted his eyebrows, trying to get a clear view far behind Win's back. He did not need long time to change his mind. "Umm... Are you sure you want to go with me? He seems in trouble thought."

Win followed where Kay's eyes looking at. He saw someone was standing, staring blankly outside the glass wall. Win recognized Bright much as he only could see the back side.

"He got many problems lately." Kay commented. "Is he ok?"

Win showed his doubt with shrugging his shoulder. "I wish I knew, too." He mumbled.

Kay narrowed his eyes, still observing Bright. But then, his eyes moved to Win and Bright back and forth. There was not a worry look that Win was giving to Bright. Kay sighed. "I think, it's better for you to be with him now." Kay said as he patted Win's shoulder. "I don't know what happened between you two, but you better go to him."

"Huh?" Win was dumbfounded. "Nothing happened between us khrab, Phi."

"So, do you have the heart to leave him like that?"

Win clicked his tongue. He should said yes to Kay's question...

"Ok, I'll go to him."

...but he could not said it.

Kay waved his hand to Win and left.

As he took a deep breath, Win put on a smile on his face and approached Bright. He stood silently beside Bright until the older one turned his head to see him but Bright said nothing. He only stared at Win.

"What can you see from up here, Phi?" Win asked. He did not took his eyes of the view. "Buildings. Houses."

"Skies."

"Cars. People."

"Nothing."

This time, Win finally looked at Bright properly. "Even people with blindness can imagine what they will be able to see from up here."

"If you were staring blankly or having a deep thought, you will see nothing but memories." Bright said. "Correct me if I'm wrong."

Win sighed. "So, tell me what did you see before I came."

"I just told you."

"Nothing?"

"Memories." Bright answered. "There are so many specific things to be remembered. They make me happy. I realize how much I cherish those memories."

Win nodded. He understood. For someone who was brokenhearted like Bright, it must be hard not to think about the past with his ex. "I think, you should try again khrab, Phi."

"Try again, what?"

"To get back to her."

Bright was frozen in his place. His eyes narrowed after hearing Win's statement. in a second his expression changed. He laughed while shaking his head. He should have known what the young man beside him was thinking.

The laugh was suddenly gone. The face Bright makes changed into despair. "This. Like this, Ai Win, you are annoying!" The voice he used was getting louder as it reached the end of sentence. "You must stop talking about her!" Bright said. His eyes widened and his index finger pointed at Win. "I did not think about her and I don't think about her at all!" Bright said in a high pitch.

Win was shocked. He stepped back and almost stumbled but his eyes stuck in Bright who was expressing his anger.

"I said I had moved on. Many times." Bright continued. "But you bring up the topic again and again. Didn't you hear what I said before?! Have you ever listened to me?!"

"Umm... Guys, I'm sorry to interrupt, but what happened here?" Toy came closer to them. He was in one of practice room and Bright's voice made people who were in the class on the same floor, came out to check the noise.

"It's my fault khrab, P'To-" Win tried to answer Toy.

"Right! It's your fault." Bright cut Win off.

Toy exhaled heavily. "If you two want to fight, come outside the building or just back to Bright's condo, I don't care. I'm saving you both here before the management heard about this." Toy suggested in whisper.

"No need." Bright rejected. His voice softened as his consciousness came back and he could control his anger. "Just- Ai Win. I have moved on. I'm serious. Can you also, please, move on from my past with her?"

Win was voiceless. It was the first time he was scolded for real by Bright.

"Believe me, you don't wanna hear what I thought before you came because it was you! I was thinking about you!" Bright said. He turned his back at Win and walked away.

Win was still stunned in his place.

Toy was also stunned in his place. For Toy, he was not as surprised as Win, but Bright's decision to convey his thought just now was unpredictable. He took a glance at Win to check how he was doing, but Win was in the edge of breaking down. "Nong Win, let's get you a seat first, ok? Let's go to free area."

Toy looked at the back, asking for help from another colleagues who had been watching the entire time, because Win did not want to move at all.

Off and Tay approached them. Tay hurriedly pushed Win from the back for the younger man to start moving toward free area. None of them talked about what had just happened to Win.

"I don't understand, Phi..." Win mumbled. His face fell.

The three seniors smiled bitterly at him.

"We know. You don't expect that, do you? Take your time." Toy said. He gave the junior a bottle of mineral water.

For Tay and Toy, Bright's feeling for Win was not a secret but Bright himself had never talked about it and close friends only could conclude it behind Bright's back. They did not know if it was love or just Bright being interested in this junior, but it was a good feeling for sure.

Still, Bright's decision to show an obvious sign about it was out of their mind.

•••

I'm not gonna say much.

Enjoy reading and don't forget to vote and comment ;)

with love,

dedededeva 💋