Mr. Pruk//ZeeNuNew

Unwillingly

I got into the bed, just turned on the lights at my bedside. Maybe it was better for me to sleep, but I couldn't sleep because of crying.

I don't know how long it took, but after a while I felt shivering as I was still lying half asleep in the bed, I wrapped my arms around myself as much as I could with the cold that came over me as my body was trembling and shaking non-stop.

Even the big blanket I was having was not enough to warm me.

I was so cold that it was as if I was in the middle of a storm, as if I had been drenched in a rain, as if I had been under the snow...

I always thought that I could fit in someone, someone would hug me, someone would really love me... Even if they weren't, maybe they would respect me...

Mr. Pruk hadn't even done that, he was doing nothing but treating me like a little kid, he didn't even care.

These thoughts swirling around in my mind made me feel even colder, I almost thought I had a seizure.

At that moment I looked at the door that clicked for a while and then opened, and Aunt Leina appeared. "NuNew, son, why didn't you come down for dinner?"

She stood at the door for a while and then went in. "N-nunew.. What happened? Are you cold?"

When I didn't answer, she took the blanket off me and put her hand on my forehead. "Honey, you're so hot.. Are you stuck in the cold? Oh son... I'll bring you something right away so you can wake up..."

I slowly grasped her hand on my head. "Aunt L-leina.. Please don't go... I'm so lonely and so cold, my mother is gone too.."

She looked at me with full eyes. "I won't go, I'll even stay here tonight, get permission from Mr. Pruk, just be well. But I need to get you a fever reducer and tea, or you'll get worse baby.."

I didn't say anything, Aunt Leina rushed out of my room, I was wondering if she'd tell Zee.

Yes, I wanted him to worry about me.

Yes, I wanted him to think of me.

Yes, I wanted him to know that he was the cause of what I went through.

I didn't know how long it was, but Aunt Leina came in a little later. She gave me the pill she brought, then made me drink tea with her own hand.

It was as if I had come to my senses, the medicine was starting to take effect slowly, the herbal tea was also good.

"And I cooked soup for you, just sick soup, and made your favorite one. I'll bring it, for you to drink it.."

I stopped her as she got up and brought the soup. "Aunt, I'm not in the mood to drink right now, and I'm not hungry. You can bring it when I want it, okay? I just need support right now.."

Aunt sat back in the chair she had pulled up next to my bed. "Okay son, tell me when you want."

There was silence for a while, then I spoke.

"Aunt, do you have any children? Who knows how lucky they are... When they get sick like this, you're always there to look after them."

Aunt smiled. “NuNew, you know what, I had a son, your age, just like you. Then…”

She paused for a moment, her expression changing. "Then I lost him in a car accident, leaving my husband and me. Now sometimes we cry when it comes to the memories..."

I literally swung my legs down as I sat on the bed and turned to her, held her hands. "I'm so sorry, but don't worry, I'm sure he's watching you from somewhere..."

"Isn't NuNew.. We had a lot of debts, my husband and son were working to pay it off. When my son passed away, those debts came out, but it was as if he was still with us, he could see, he helped us, thanks to him I got a job here."

"How?"

"My son was a friend of Mr. Pruk's cousin, when he heard about this, he wanted to pay off all the debts, and then he hired me. No matter how cold he looks on the outside, his heart is very warm, you know more or less."

"I know.." I said with difficulty.

"Aunt, can I ask you something?"

"Ask, of course."

"Before I came to this house, was Mr. Pruk engaged?"

"Oh son, don't ask, yes he's engaged but if you ask me it is unintentionally..."

"What?" I said in surprise.

"Didn't you know? He might get angry if he hears me tell you now.."

"I won't tell him what you said, tell me..."

"Mr. Pruk was very focused on his work at that time, I could see that when he came home, he would work without raising his head. One day he came to me, told me to prepare something for the guests, he said he was going to have an engagement. I was also curious, I asked Zee, I love Zee like my son, he respects me. He just said 'I'm going to get engaged to someone my grandfather wants.' A few family members came to the house, they wore rings, but Mr. Pruk wasn't happy at all. I don't think he would have acted that way if it had been a willful thing. That's all I know."

So he got engaged, if not willingly, just because his grandfather wanted it?

As far as I know, Zee wasn't that kind of person, he's getting engaged just because his grandfather wants it..

There must have been other things behind this...