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Drunk Confessions

Part 10

"K-Kongpob, thanks so much for your..."

There he goes again the minute his last classmate had left.

"Why are you so concerned about going to university?" I cut him off, not wanting to hear his profuse and repeated "thank yous".

"My dad wants me to go," there was a strange dignity in his eyes as they gazed at me, big and sparkling. "So I don't want to disappoint him."

This wasn't right. Going to university should be everyone's own choice, but I knew how much Arthit cared for his father. So, for once, I decided to hold my peace.

"Well, I don't want to go to university."

As I had expected, his jaw dropped as a shocked expression spread over his face once again.

"But why? You're so smart..."

"That's precisely why. I don't see what more will I learn in university."

Anyway, it's really strange that I'm actually telling him this. I haven't even told my parents yet. But somehow I felt like I wanted Arthit to know...

Weird, right?

Something must be wrong with me.

I left him staring wordlessly after me as I went back to my bedroom to sleep for the night.

Peace at last!

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"Hey Kongpob," I looked up to see Mike rushing up to me down the hallway. I cocked an eyebrow at him. God, I haven't seen him look so excited since our previous exam results were announced. "Did you know that everyone in F-class passed except for Max?"

"Ooh, really?"

I feigned ignorance, but I was secretly smirking inside, however, I kept my expression bland. As always.

Well, for the next couple of weeks, the teachers were all buzzing in excitement about the near miraculous achievement of the F-class. It was the first time in school's history that almost everyone in F class passed. Miraculous indeed...

I could see that a few of the F students were bursting to tell the teachers about what I had done, but I had told Arthit to make sure that no one said a single word. Strangely enough, they actually managed to control their loose tongues. All the teachers were all mystified and finally they pinned it down to dumb luck...

I sat at my table, for once slightly disturbed. The entrance exams for the prestigious SK University are looming up — next week in fact. I know that my parents, especially Dad, wants me to get into the top university in the country and that's SK University. Of course, part of the reason is due to him being a SK graduate and hoping that his son will proudly follow in his footsteps.

However, I feel strangely reluctant to go to SK University. Perhaps it's the rebelliousness in me, but why should I have to go to SK University just because Dad went there as well? I don't want to go and that's final. I don't want to go to university at all.

An uneasy feeling crept into me — somehow almost subconsciously, I feel that there is another reason for me not wanting to go to SK University...I know Arthit would never be able to get in there and I—...wait, is it because... No way!

I hastily pushed away the crazy thought that I wanted to attend a university together with Arthit. What the hell, why am I thinking of that baka??

Just then, my eyes fell on a brown box sitting on my table and a wry smile ceased my lips as I noticed Arthit standing in front of me.

"Merry Christmas, Kongpob Suthiluck! I really hope you like this."

The huge brown eyes were shimmering with hope and a pathetic kind of adoration when he passed me the present. In spite of my lack of response, the smile on his lips did not fade and spread only wider. Gosh, he really had a big smile with beautiful teeth that lit up his whole face.

Someone offered to take a picture of us and a chuckle escaped my lips when I remembered how shocked Arthit was when I put my arm around him and pulled him close when we were taking the photo, whispering to him that I knew where he had been working to save enough to get me this present.

As expected, he had selected some electronic trinket that would be absolutely useless to me. However, remembering how hard he had been working part-time at his father's restaurant, I didn't have the heart to refuse the present.

The bright smile on Arthit's face was happiest I had ever seen him before as even his doe-like eyes shone with tears of happiness.

I sighed.

You're getting soft Kongpob, I chided myself.

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"What do you mean you still don't want to go to SK University!??"

It was the third night in a row and I winced as Mr Suthiluck's voice began to rise. I looked at Kongpob pleadingly, hoping that he would just tell his dad that he would at least sit for the entrance exam. By that time, perhaps his father would calm down and accept his son's choice.

"Just that, I don't want to study at SK University. Why should I go there?" Kongpob responded with a defiant voice and I flinched at the veins standing out from Mr Suthiluck's forehead. I was afraid he was going to jump and strangle his son right there and then.

"Kongpob, just go and sit for the exam. We'll talk about accepting the offer or not after," Mrs Suthiluck broke in trying to be the peacemaker. The atmosphere at the dinner table was so tense that it could be cut with a knife.

Fortunately, by the end of the dinner, Kongpob Suthiluck agreed to go and sit for the entrance exam and I heaved a secret sigh of relief mixed with disappointment.

I mean it's so obvious that I would never be able to attend SK University with him. Ever. Just look at my results. I will be lucky if I get to any university in the whole country. If I'm lucky. And I would need a lot of luck.

However, at the same time, I wanted the best for him... this is what one would call love right?

To want the best for another person — suddenly I felt extremely proud of myself for being so selfless and wishing all the best for my charming Prince.

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"Max?" My jaw dropped as I stepped into my dad's restaurant, only to see him dressed as a waiter, cleaning a table at the side.

"Welcome, Arthit!" he said with a huge grin as he led us to the biggest table in the room that was already set for all of us. My dad had invited us all to dine at his restaurant for a change, but I did not expect to see Max there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Remember that I'm not going to university?"

Well, he failed the final exam...

"...Yes?"

"I'm learning how to be a good cook — learning a useful skill to provide for my wife and family in future." Max's words spoke of determination, but there was a possessive glitter in his eyes as he looked at me when he said it and it made me feel very uncomfortable.

"T-that's good..." I said in a stutter, trying to inch away from him and slip into my seat.

"Yeah, good for you." Suddenly, Kongpob Suthiluck was standing near both of us. When had he come? Did he hear everything?

"What was that suppose to mean?" Max was starting to get angry again. I sighed. This silly fighting between these two seemed to never end.

"You don't like studying so it's good that you're learning a trade." Kongpob Suthiluck sat down before Max had time to make any further comments.

"Max!" Fortunately at this point in time, Dad needed Max's help and called for him.

"Coming!" He called loudly and quickly vanished into the kitchen as I heaved a sigh of relief.

I know that Max likes me quite a bit, however, there has always been and always will be only one person that I love. I do admire his persistence and even training under Dad to get closer to me — yes I am not a complete idiot as Kongpob Suthiluck seems to think — but I will never love him. I care for him as a good friend, but nothing more.

Anyway, we're meant to be here to wish Kongpob Suthiluck luck for his entrance exams, so I quickly pushed the disturbing thoughts from my mind.

"Cheers!"

I had lost count of the number of cups of alcohol that Kongpob Suthiluck had drunk when he replied politely to my dad's toasts.

"Do your best son, here's to luck!" I almost wanted to give Kongpob's father a kick as they both knocked back another glass and then another. I counted the empty bottles by Kongpob Suthiluck's plate — six! Six empty bottles of the strongest alcohol in the restaurant.

I nudged Auntie discreetly.

"Auntie," I began and paused. "Urm...don't you think Kongpob Suthiluck has had enough? I mean look, he has already drunk six bottles alone. SIX! And his exams are tomorrow..." I was cut off by her gentle laughter.

"Don't worry for him Arthit, I've never seen him drunk. You'll be surprised with how much he can drink."

So this was yet another side of Kongpob that I had never seen before — how many sides does he have?

I looked on and my concern faded away when I noticed that although his cheeks were slightly rosy from the alcohol, his eyes retained the lucid cold alertness that was so particularly him. Gosh, but why was he so damn handsome even when he was drinking?

Awww...

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Great!

So, can you guess what new disaster has befallen us???

Arthit is drunk. Like really really drunk.

If he can't hold his liquor, then he should not have drunk all the drinks that my dad offered him.

I must say that my father was really thoughtless making us all drink so much.

On the other hand, how can he be drunk already after 2 small cups? That must really be one miserable record.

I wasn't counting his drinks cause I was concerned. No, I was just...counting.

If it isn't bad enough that he is reeling around and we are all taking turns to support him, the alcohol has made him unable to walk properly.

I mean it was already pretty annoying hearing his chirpy voice go on and on without stopping, when he suddenly started to cry and proclaimed to my family hos wish that I would not go to SK university so that he would still be able to be together with me. That was a quite clear drunk confession of love.

I caught the startled expression on both our fathers' faces and my mum looked as smug as the cat who had eaten the canary at this "declaration of love".

Beneath the cool façade that I had somehow managed to retain, I was grinding my teeth, totally embarrassed by his antics.

And the way he was crying and carrying on, looking at me pleadingly — goodness, you would have thought that he was at my wake. Fortunately, he suddenly felt sick and wanted to throw up over Daniel who immediately became hysterical and jumped up to run away from Arthit. That diversion finally distracted everyone from what he was saying and the topic was not touched again as we made our way back home.

Still, unconsciously, I couldn't wipe the satisfied smile off my face the whole night as I laid in my bed thinking of that baka.

Drunk or not, he really had just confessed his love to me in front of our parents.

And I had liked it...

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