Battling with a Hot Guy

Part 49

...what else could I ask of him? Hmmm...

Then I remembered something that had been bothering me for a while now. 

"Why do you trust Jessica so much?" I finally asked him, trying not to sound as if I were jealous of her, because I wasn't... I was just curious.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked playfully, looking at me mischievously. "Are you jealous?"

"Yah! Why would I be jealous? It's not as if I like you." I answered quickly, but I could feel the heat in my cheeks and I couldn't look Kongpob in the eyes anymore. "Anyway, just answer it."

He continued to smile at me playfully. "Well, it's because she's a special friend. She's the last person I'd ever doubt." He said, his eyes gazing at me like he was trying to see if I would give a reaction on what he was saying.

Knowing how he was anticipating my reaction, I planned not to show any. But unfortunately, my mouth acted before my mind could order it to keep quiet. "If she's so special to you, why did you choose me over her then?" I muttered, hopefully my voice not as loud as I normally used.

But he still heard me. "Hmm, so you are jealous." He spoke with an amused smile. But then he started talking seriously again. "When we were in sixth grade, I always went home late because of playing basketball. In one of those days, I forgot my bag inside the classroom so I went back. When I got there, there was this girl who was busily writing on a notebook. I approached her, only to find out that she was studying. At first, I didn't find it strange. But then the second time I found her studying hard after school hours, I started to pity her. And so the next day, I didn't play basketball. Instead, I brought a board game, I think it was Monopoly, and asked her to play with me. At first she wouldn't let go of her pen and notebook. But after a while she finally gave in. And for the first time, I saw her being very happy and forgetting all the stress of studying so hard. Ever since then, I would play with her during dismissal, making us very close with each other. And because of that, I began to understand and trust her."

As I listened to him, knowing he was talking about Jessica, I could feel my heart ache a little. Could it be that I was jealous of his relationship with Jessica? "If that's how close you are to Jessica, then maybe you should go out with her for real." I commented in a serious tone. I really meant what I was saying this time, because they really seem to match each other well.

He shook his head. "I don't want to go out with her. She's like a little sister to me, that's why I trust her. It's not because I love her." He remarked, looking at me directly as if he knew what turmoil I was feeling inside. "Anyway, are you satisfied with my answer?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am." I said, surprisingly feeling relieved upon hearing what he said before that. What was going on with me? I couldn't just easily like him now after hating him for so long, could I? It just didn't make sense at all.

He ran towards the ball and picked it up. "Since I've been answering your questions since the beginning, well, except for your first shot, now it's my turn." He spoke, dribbling the ball before he threw it in effortlessly. And even though he did, he managed to shoot the ball. "So, what do you choose, a question or a dare?"

Not wanting to answer any more silly but cheek-reddening questions, I decided to choose a dare. "I'll go with a dare. What's your dare?" I asked him, already expecting him to say something really childish.

He smiled playfully. "I want you to call five people on your cell phone and say nothing but the line, 'I love Kongpob'. You can't explain them anything nor can you introduce yourself." He finally said, handing my cell phone to me.

As I took my cell phone from him, I tried to think of people whom I could call. If I called Nam well, I was sure that she would call back immediately and ask me what was up. And she would not stop until she found out. If I were to call Daniel, now that wouldn't be a problem. But I would still be lacking four more people. May could be one of them, but then again, she could be with Michael right now and calling might bother them. I checked my phone book for any more possible options. That left me with no one but Daniel.

Feeling defeated, I handed the phone back to Kongpob. "I give up. Just give me a question." I told him with a sigh.

It took him a moment before he finally smiled mischievously again. "This question, you really have to answer truthfully, okay?" he said, as if my answer to his question earlier was untrue. "Place your right hand over your heart. That way you can't lie."

Raising my brow at him, I found myself unable to believe that he actually believed that. "Isn't it what only girls do and believe in promising something with hands over their hearts?" I told him teasingly.

"What's the matter? Wasn't it you who started the rumor about me being gay?" he responded back, making me blush guiltily. "Besides, sometimes people do unreasonable things and since you trust your heart so much, you would never try to lie to your heart, now would you?"

Uhoh, again, Kongpob knows me do damn well...

"Fine." I answered, doing as he instructed. "Ask away."

Kongpob waited a little before saying anything. He just stared at me with an unreadable expression. 

Suddenly, I found it hard to breathe and my legs felt weak. 

What is he waiting for?

Why is he looking at me like that?

Oh god...make him stop...

And then, he finally spoke, "Do you like me, sincerely?" he asked me, his face serious and those dark eyes intensely fixed on me.

Even though deep down I had expected him to ask me that question, I took a moment before I answered. Damn this was...I had been refusing to believe it all this time, but now I knew the reason why my heart was beating wildly whenever he was around and why I found it hard to breathe when he looked at me with that intense gaze of his...and why I wasn't hating him anymore and actually felt worried about hurting him...

...because I really was liking him now...

Probably had liked him for a while already.

So, taking a deep breath to calm my heart, I answered him truthfully. "I do."

And upon hearing that, he suddenly smiled so wide and happy, I nearly melted by the sweet twinkle in his eyes. "Good. Me too."

❤︎

Author's note: Finally!!! F.I.N.A.L.L.Y! *does happy dance*