Predestination

70 - The Plunge

Singto rushed offstage. All eyes followed him, following Krist. 

"Cat's out of the bag." Tay whispered to New. 

Singto passed by Marian, the other nodded. 

"Kit! Kit!" He started jogging, picking up his pace to catch up to Krist. "Kit!" Krist didn't seem to hear his calls. "There!" Singto said to himself when Krist stopped at an open doorway.

Out of breath, "Where are you going Kit?" 

"P'?" Krist answered, not looking at Singto. 

"Krist." Singto turned Krist by the shoulder. "Why did you leave?"

"Huh?"

"Kit. Why did you leave in the middle of my speech?"

"Because I know where you are going with it."

"And?"

"And what  P'?"

"If you knew, why did you run?"

"I don't know."

Singto grazed Krist's cheek to make his Nong look at him. He has always been fond of Krist's habit of looking away when he felt unsure or shy. This time around, Singto will not et it pass. This was not the time to feel shy. Nothing about their relationship is unsure, past, present or their future. Singto knew where he wanted to go, where he wanted to take Krist. He just had to make sure Krist knew it too. 

After a few seconds, "P' what is this?"

"What?" Singto was busy memorizing Krist's face. He didn't bother looking around. Come to think of it, he wasn't sure where they were. He just followed Krist blindly. He admitted to himself, long ago, that wherever Krist went, he would always follow. 

"This P'. What is this? Why is this here? Is this you?"

"What?" It was then Singto looked around. He saw a familiar setting, a setting that almost started his dream but ended in a nightmare. He saw through the open doorway, a stage, set in silver streamers, cherry blossom flowers strewn on the floor.

"Are those real blossoms? Real trees?"

"They better be." 

"Seriously?"

"Well, I gave Khun Marian specific instructions..."

"This was what Marian was working on?! P'Sing!"

"What?"

"Seriously? This was the project? Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Um, no."

"You wasted her time for this?"

"Kit."

"P'Sing!"

"I don't think it was wasted time." Singto answered softly.

"OK. Sorry P'Sing. I know you put a lot of thought into this but look at it from another perspective." Krist was trying to reign in his emotions. "You asked a Treasury employee to work on a project that, a.) was not related to her specific skillset, b.) was not part of her job description, and c.) that is not even related to the company." He sighed. "Come on P', you have to admit, that was a waste of resource and company time."

"Krist, out of the two of us, I would be the one most likely to call out activities not related to the company." Singto turned serious. "I don't need you to point that out." He looked from Krist to the decorated ballroom. "I don't think it was a waste. I don't think this" he gestured to the room around them "is a waste. And anything, everything to do with you is to do with me, which would in turn have something to do with the company." Krist was gearing to contradict, Singto hurriedly added. "And yes, I agree with you, Khun Marian should not have been tapped for this." He took Krist's shoulders in his hands. "But Kit, I just asked her for her opinion. She volunteered. I know it was not her responsibility, but she looked so eager to do it. She seemed happy to do it, and I was in over my head, way over. I needed the help."