Red Strings

Chapter Ten

The foundation and sportsfest week continued in full swing. Winny, having completed his duties as a cheerleader, shifted his focus to helping Satang at the engineering booth.

 Initially, Satang was reluctant to let him join, arguing that Winny had already done his part. But Winny, ever persistent, reminded him, "I'm an engineering student too, Tang. Let me help." Left with no choice, Satang finally gave in, albeit with a playful grumble.

 As the days flew by, the final day of the event arrived—a day that carried the weight of expectations. The entire team was abuzz with activity. Film and Earn were in charge of tallying the earnings for the week, while Satang and the rest of the team focused on cleaning and dismantling the booth. 

The atmosphere was a mix of exhaustion and anticipation as they all wondered whether they had met their quota.Satang, usually calm and composed, found himself nervously glancing at Film and Earn as they worked. Every time Film's pen paused or Earn double-checked a number, his heart raced. It wasn't about the prize for him—it was about ensuring his team's hard work paid off. 

 Finally, as the last calculation was done, Satang couldn't wait any longer. He approached the table and leaned in. "So?" he asked, his voice betraying his anxiety.Film looked up at him, her face expressionless, and simply stared for a moment. Satang's nerves spiked. Why wasn't she saying anything?Before he could ask again, Winny walked over, his hands dusty from cleaning. 

"What's the verdict?" he asked, his tone eager.Film and Earn exchanged a mischievous glance before breaking into wide smiles. "We made it," Film said, her voice triumphant. 

 Satang's frown deepened in confusion. "How much did we collect?" he asked cautiously, still processing their reaction.Winny, however, had already caught on. "Wait, really?!" he exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. Film and Earn nodded enthusiastically."It's almost 50,000 baht!" Film exclaimed, her voice filled with pride.Satang froze, his eyes wide. 

The quota had been set at 25,000, and they had doubled it. It took a moment for the words to sink in. "Guys... we made it!" Winny cheered, throwing his arms around Satang, who was still processing the news."Is it really 50,000?" Satang finally managed to say, his tone incredulous. 

Film laughed and showed him the cash and the calculator as proof. A wide smile broke across his face as the realization hit him. "We did it," he said softly, his voice filled with pride and relief.After ensuring everything was wrapped up at the booth, the team regrouped. Satang and Winny waited for Film and Earn to arrive. When they did, Satang addressed them, "You two should go get ready for tonight's event. I'll take care of surrendering the money to the faculty.""Alright, don't be late, Tang!" Film teased before she and Earn waved goodbye, leaving Satang and Winny to head to the faculty office together. 

 When they handed over the earnings to their dean, the older man was visibly impressed. "Almost 50,000 baht?" he said, his eyebrows raised. "This might be the most successful booth we've had in years. Excellent work, Satang. You've outdone yourself."Satang smiled modestly, bowing his head slightly in gratitude. "It was a team effort, sir," he said, his sincerity evident.

 As they left the faculty building, Winny glanced at Satang, a sly smile tugging at his lips. "You didn't forget what we talked about, right?"Satang chuckled, knowing exactly what Winny meant. "How could I forget? I've been looking forward to it," he replied, his tone teasing but warm. Winny's grin widened at his response."Good," Winny said, his voice light with satisfaction. 

Then, with an easy confidence, he reached out his hand to Satang.Satang hesitated for just a second, then slid his hand into Winny's, feeling a sense of calm and comfort as their fingers intertwined. "Let's go," Winny said, giving Satang's hand a gentle squeeze."Yeah, let's go. I need to freshen up and meet Marc first. He's probably sulking by now," Satang said with a laugh.Hand in hand, the two walked away from the bustling campus, leaving behind the week's hard work and heading toward a night filled with promise and celebration.