#SOTUS Continued: Book One A PremWad Tale

The Elephant in the Room

Kongpop's POV

"Why don't you two go back," I tell Aim and Oak after P'Arthit leaves, "All of us don't need to be here."

"You sure?" Aim asks.

"Yeah," I smile, "I will help Ai'Wad get home when he is released. It shouldn't be much longer anyway."

"Ok," Oak pats me on the shoulder, "Call us if you need us to come back."

"Will do," I agree, watching as they leave.

I look at the door to Wad's room. Wad is comfortable with Aim and Oak since he participated in the Freshy Games, but I am sure he would not want to face him after that confession we heard from P'Prem. Considering how P'Prem stormed off, I am guessing Wad rejected him. But why?

I slide open the door, and I am shocked by what I see. Why is Wad crying? I don't know what I expected him to be feeling, but to find him crying was not even on the list. Shit! What now? Should I leave? I could deal with Wad being angry and stoic, but this? I am so glad I sent those two home. They did not need to see this. I debate my options and realize there is only one. P'Arthit is always calling me a hero. It is in my nature to help my friends, and Wad is my friend. Our friendship might be new, but we are still friends. I step in and let the door slide closed behind me.

"Ai'Wad?" I call quietly.

Wad looks up at me, and I feel for him. It could easily be me once P'Arthit tells me to bugger off finally. Wad looks away from me, wiping his tears away with his bandaged hand.

"Look, Ai'Wad," I decide to address the elephant in the room, "So I am not the only one?"

Wad looks sharply at me. "You like P'Prem, too?" Wad sniffles.

"No, no, no," I answer, quickly waving my hands to emphasize this. Hell, no. I have my own surly senior. You can keep yours. "I thought I was the only one who liked a senior."

"You like a senior?" Wad gapes at me. He looks away, thinking and then back at me, "Who?"

"I like P'Arthit," I shrug.

Wad's tear-stained face was reaching comical proportions. I never knew one's eyebrows could go that high, but at least he had stopped crying.

"You. Like. P'Arthit?" Wad says each word slowly. "But you and P'Arthit want to kill each other daily!"

"Like you and P'Prem both don't want to beat each other to a pulp just as much as P'Arthit and I!" I argue.

We look at each other and laugh, breaking the tension in the room finally.

"P'Arthit? Ai'Kong, have you lost your mind," Wad grins at me. "He is a tiny terror. Even P'Prem referred to him as a little monster, and he is his friend!"

"P'Prem? Ai'Wad, have you lost your mind," I mimic. "He is a giant terror! And I am pretty sure more people than P'Arthit thinks so."

"It doesn't matter anymore anyway. P'Prem walked away. He left. I didn't even get a chance to tell him." Wad mumbles as he began to pick at his bandages.

"I doubt his feelings are going to go away in an instant, Ai'Wad," Kongpop reassure Wad. "And at least he told you how he feels about you, unlike someone I know." I sigh.

Wad's POV

Looking at Kongpop, I see he is just as scared as I am. He has probably put his heart out there for P'Arthit, and from what I can tell, he hasn't received a reply. I know the not knowing if you will be accepted or rejected is painful. Even though he is dealing with his own shit, he is still here for me. What a pair we make. It is nice having a friend. I haven't trusted people in so long, but I want to trust Kongpop.