Perseverance [Complete]

Chapter 22

Kong's POV

P'Arthit and I have been trying to decipher the code that Rune keeps talking in. She doesn't remember where or when she saw that man, but it was definitely with me. She called him my friend. Not P'Arthit's. Just mine. When exactly did we meet some bearded man without P'Arthit around? Why would I not remember meeting someone crazy enough to do such things. I would have definitely noticed their obsession with Rune when they met.

I was still upset with P'Arthit for having kept me in the dark. I could have helped him track down this lunatic. Especially since it seemed he was somehow connected to me. How long did he think living out of a hotel was going to be sustainable, or did he plan on monitoring Rune 24 X 7 for the rest of his life.

We had decided to stop her classes for the time being since now there were two of us to alternate between watching her and that it was obvious he had been following her to the classes. Neither Rune nor her teacher could give us a decent enough description for me to recognize who they were talking about.

I was currently trying to extract more information from Rune while we were sitting in their hotel room going through her recent drawings. P'Arthit had gone back to their apartment to ask around some more questions, when he barged in through the door and started talking excitedly.

"Kong I think I know when it all started."

"Really?"

"Remember that weekend when there was supposed to be the electrical repairing at my place? The weekend when we...uh....I...mean when I stayed over at your place?"

"Yeah" As if I was ever going to forget that weekend.

"Well, it seems there was no scheduled repair for my apartment. The notice I got from my building manager for the repair work was fake. I think that is when he first came in and installed all the cameras. Which means he crossed paths with Rune before that. Can you remember anything that happened when you were with Rune before that weekend?"

I tried to think back to days but there was nothing out of the ordinary that I could recall. Every time I picked or dropped her off I was definitely alone if not with one of our friends. Rune already knew them well, so it couldn't have been them she was referring to.

"No P'Arthit, I can't think of anyone older that I met when Rune was with me."

"Argghhh! Kong I don't know what to do anymore. It's like I keep hitting dead ends everywhere I turn. What does his psychopath want from her?"

I have never felt this helpless in my entire life before. I wanted to help him so desperately. I had the power to help him, but it seems my memory was failing me when I needed it the most.

P'Arthit had fallen asleep on the bed after a long tiring day of running around trying to solve endless mysteries. I played with Rune late into the night till she had finally spent all her energy. We hadn't met for over 3 weeks and I owed her all my attention. I tucked her in bed before taking the couch as my makeshift bed.

I was probably going to lie awake through the night anyway. I was continuously replaying the last couple of months through my head, both searching for a clue regarding Rune, and also re-evaluating my behavior towards P'Arthit.

I had no doubt that I had fallen deeply in love with P'Arthit. And yet for the past few weeks I had behaved like nothing but a selfish brat. I hadn't even considered that he could have been going through something so traumatic. All I cared about was that he wasn't paying attention to me the way I wanted.

I had even let my jealously blind me to the extent that I didn't trust him. Never in the entire time I had known him, had he behaved in a shallow or despicable manner, and yet I was easily willing to think the worse of him just because I felt slightly hurt and ignored.

And all along he had been trying to protect me. As if keeping Rune safe was not difficult enough, he sat next to me every lunch trying to make sure nothing bad was happening to me. He took all the responsibilities on himself just so that I wouldn't be involved in anything that could be dangerous.

And how did I repay him? I almost let Rune get kidnapped. I have never felt shame to the magnitude I was feeling right now, and I don't think I will ever be able to forgive myself. I doubt P'Arthit will ever be able to forgive me for the way I behaved. My eyes had started stinging from staying awake most of the night and the unshed tears that kept threatening to spill, when I heard the bed creak.

"P'Arthit do you need anything?"

He looked in my direction trying to adjust his eyes to the darkness. He silently walked over to me and tugged at my hand.

"Why are you on the couch? Come to bed."