That time on Spaces (Completed)

That time on Spaces

He quickly replies to say he's going to listen in.

You should speak! You have so many interesting things to say.

He's still thinking about it when the icon pops up on his feed and he clicks into the group chat.

The host is someone he's chatted with enough to feel comfortable to speak to and so, within a second, his finger has hovered over and then clicked on the 'Request' button.

His heart beats erratically while he watches it connect, but when it does, he feels calm as the host calls out his Twitter handle and asks how he is.

He falls into an easy pattern of listening and speaking, sharing his thoughts and opinions with ease and it feels really good to hear what other fans think of his ideas.

There's a stream of messages appearing in his inbox from @JKS too and he's praising Arthit for the things he's saying and the way he's explaining and also a few messages that say how much he likes Arthit's voice.

It's not a lie to say that Arthit appreciates @JKS saying that, nor that he feels excited that his friend can hear him speaking. He replies to the messages and suggests that he also joins in as a speaker, but his friend is reluctant so Arthit doesn't force it and just continues to message him, adding some of @JKS ideas to the conversation and crediting him for them.

The host is wrapping up the chat when one of the newer speakers asks Arthit how he, as a man, got into Kongpob and he has to pause to decide what to say.

"The thing is.. I don't think there's a gender issue with supporting any actor, is there? You like what you like, right? I mean, Kongpob's first role was the one that caught my eye. I know most people know him for his first series, but for me it was when he had that bit part in the murder mystery drama. He just lit up the screen! His eyes on camera are incredible, they speak volumes about the feelings of his character, and I loved how he was so humble in every interview. He makes me feel like any one of us could sit down and have a coffee with him and feel utterly comfortable, he's just that kind of guy."

Someone else pipes up to agree with him and said that having met him at an event, he is like that. Meanwhile Arthit's heart thumps in his chest. He hadn't really meant to say something like that. He feels like he's over shared and he wishes he had taken his time to think through his response.

But everyone is supportive and many of them agree with him about Kongpob, so by the time they are saying goodnight, his heart has reached a more natural pace and he feels like his first foray into live chatting has been a success.

It's only when he's in bed and ready to fall asleep that he realises @JKS went quiet towards the end of the chat and didn't send him a message when it was over. And he's disappointed. And he's not entirely sure why.
-

The next day, after work, he flicks open the Twitter app while he's on the train home. His notifications icon shows 50+ which is a rare occurrence for him, being a small account with only a few hundred followers.

When he clicks on the button, the first one is a link to an interview and as he clicks further down, loads of other accounts have tagged him with it. Additionally, he seems to have hundreds of new followers, most of them with pictures of Kongpob's face. Curious, he clicks on the first link and Kongpob's handsome face appears on the screen.

Looking through the comments, he sees that people are crediting him for the content and he wonders what on earth he's missed.

Hesitantly, he clicks and is rewarded with an interview that he's never seen before. It's date stamped for today and as he watches he hears words he recognises, "One of my fans recently said that I make him feel like any one of my KongClub could sit down and have a coffee with me and feel utterly comfortable."