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34.2 Shame

Everyone stopped in their tracks and respectfully greeted the man. Even Bright suddenly changed his usual demeanor.

Bright smiled and gave the man a hug. "It's has been too long P'Poy. Is everything well?"

The man whom Bright called Poy smiled at the younger man's affection. "Yes, young master. Things are good. Your parents are out of the country and had me take care of the house of the time being. We have always been ready to have you here."

Prem, Toota, and Knot's jaws dropped. It was hard to imagine Bright acting like this and to hear someone call him 'young master' was unimaginable. Arthit remained numb, standing in place while his friends helped him settle down.

Like a robot, Arthit mindlessly followed his friends. Knot took it upon himself to guide his friend to the room Bright's housekeeper prepared for them.

All the guest rooms where located in the same floor. Each room was spacious and equipped with its own bathroom. No one in the group expected that Bright was this rich. They were aware that he had money. It still surprised them to see a glimpse of their friend's wealth.

Knot led Arthit to the room beside his. He placed Arthit's bag on the floor and ushered his friend to the bed.

Arthit kept staring into space and it worried him to no end.

"Arthit rest up. We still need to attend class tomorrow."

Knot received no response. He wanted to stay, but decided against it. He sighed and let his friend have some time for himself. Knot thought that giving his friend space would be the best thing right now. He closed the door quietly and attended to some matters of his own.

When Arthit heard the door close, he took out his phone from his pocket and dialed Kongpob's number.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three rings.

The ringing continued until the sound changed into a busy tone. He really need to hear Kongpob's voice. Arthit wanted to hear him say that everything is going to be okay.

Repeatedly, Arthit dialed the same number over and over again. Every time he pressed the call button, his heart constricted, as if something was squeezing it.

He kept calling until he fell asleep. His last call remained unanswered.

Arthit woke up with the sky still dark. He looked at his phone and saw that he only had two hours of sleep. There were no messages nor a call from Kongpob.

He frowned. Normally, Kongpob would at least send him a message before going to bed. It was their thing.

Did something happened? Was it because of the photos of the two of them kissing? Arthit had no answers for these questions as he can't reach his boyfriend.

His finger hovered over the call button and then decided against it. Arthit felt that his call would still end in disappointment.

He shook his head and concentrated at the matter on hand. Forcing his tired body out of bed, he got ready. His graduation was still looming over his head. If he failed to submit his remaining requirements, his graduation would be delayed.

Prem cautiously knocked on Arthit's room and waited. The door opened and saw Arthit in the process of putting on his shirt uniform. He let out a breath of relief. His friend looked much better compared to yesterday even though the skin under the man's eyes were dark.

"Good morning." He greeted Arthit.

Arthit tiredly greeted back. "Morning. Is it time to go?"

He shook his head in reply. "Not yet. There's still time for breakfast. Plus, Toota is taking is sweet time in the bathroom. He's been in there for almost an hour. I don't get it." Being boyfriends did not change a lot in Prem and Toota's habits. They still bicker about the simplest things.