Chapter 20

                                    

                                          
Kong's POV

                          
I was sitting back on the chair in my room listening to P'Arthit play his guitar across the street. Since the day he basically broke down in my arms he has gone back to avoiding me. Well not completely. Jes still insisted that us spending time would help P'Arthit's training so under Jes' watchful gaze we would awkwardly try as hard as possible to avoid communicating. And as soon we would leave Jes' place, P'Arthit would go into hiding in his room. 
                          
Not that I was complaining. I was just fine watching him without being stuck next to him. He had been behaving even more weird than usual with me and that was completely throwing me off. Not only was he making a super human effort to treat me nicely there were times when I actually had to wonder who was protecting whom. He would call me first thing every morning and last thing before he went to bed "just to check in". He didn't need to check in with me, I could see and hear absolutely all his moves. I even told him that but the calls didn't seem to stop.
                          
And then there were these multiple small everyday things he kept doing which were so confusing. Like he would casually pull me by his side while we were walking so that he was always between me and the oncoming traffic, or when he noticed my shoelaces were untied instead of just pointing it out to me he bent down himself to tie them. His actions were constantly catching me off guard. 
                          
I don't understand where all these actions from him were coming from. I mean sure he was my senior, but he wasn't really the types to get over friendly with any of his juniors, least of all me. In fact he and I have always had a particularly contentious relationship, so why all this overwhelming concern? I am not sure he realizes that I have years of training along with powers he knows nothing about. In either case watching him from across the street helped me clear my thoughts. Plus, there was the added bonus of listening to his music. I am sure I have mentioned before, I think listening to him play is probably my most favorite thing to do. I could totally get lost in the tunes he was enveloping me with. Which on a regular day I would categorize as great, but today not so much.
                          
If I wasn't so lulled by his music and singing I would have noticed sooner that the strange lurker was back. I was almost too slow in finally becoming aware that there was someone right outside his door. Almost too late to do anything about it.
                          
I jumped out of my chair and grabbed my phone to dial his number with a frenzy as I simultaneously pulled my door open to run towards his room.
                          
"Hello?"
                          
"P'Arthit are you ok?"
                          
"Huh? Yeah why won't I be? Wait there is someone at the door. Give me a second."
                          
"NO! DON'T OPEN IT"
                          
"What? Why?"
                          
"It's not safe. Don't open it. I will be there in 1 minute. Just sit tight."
                          
"Wait what do you mean it's not safe? What's not safe."
                          
"Don't open the door until I get there."
                          
"Hold on it's not safe to open the door? Who is outside my door?"
                          
"I don't know yet."
                          
"But if it's not safe then why the fuck are you coming here?"
                          
"To finally catch this asshole who has been slipping through my fingers"
                          
"Wait, wait stop Kong. Don't come here please."
                          
"I am almost there"
                          
I reached his front door to see it standing empty. I ran around the corridors and the stairways to try and find that person but there didn't seem any sign of anyone around. How in the heaven's name did that person get out of the building so fast? They would have definitely had to cross paths with me. 
                          
P'Arthit was still on the call yelling something from the other side that I had been ignoring. I went back to his door and knocked while signaling that it was me and to open up. He jerked the door open and immediately launched into a tirade.
                          
"Are you an idiot? Who screams about danger and then runs directly towards it. How the fuck did you know it was not safe to open the door? Who the hell was on the other side?"
                          
"Are you done yet?"
                          
"No I am not done yet. Answer me dammit."
                          
"Can I come in atleast?"
                          
He continued giving me the death glare but stepped aside to let me enter. I quickly checked to make sure we were alone before kicking off my shoes and plopping down on his bed.
                          
"Well?"
                          
"Someone has been following you"
                          
"Following me? I am assuming you are not referring to yourself?"
                          
"Someone other than me has been following you"
                          
"Who?"
                          
"I don't know. I can never manage to catch that person. I am always two steps behind."
                          
"Since when have you been trying to catch this person?"
                          
"A few months now. They don't seem to be around you all the time. Actually, this person hasn't shown up since that time on campus when I came looking for you at night. I wonder why?"
                          
"Months? MONTHS? And you are telling me this now?"
                          
"What am I supposed to tell you? There may or may not be someone following you and I know absolutely nothing else? It's my job to keep you safe so you don't need to worry about it yet."
                          
I saw his mouth open and shut multiple times trying to respond to what I just said before he gave up trying to come up with an argument.
                          
"How did you know someone was outside my door?"
                          
"I have my ways"
                          
"Ughhh you and your freaking secrets. Anyway what are you going to do now?"
                          
"Nothing right this instant. Wait and watch I guess."
                          
"Hmmm, ok can you move please. I was getting ready to go to bed."
                          
"How am I stopping you from going to bed?"
                          
"By being sprawled across it."
                          
"Correction. I am not sprawled. I am simply lying on it. That to occupying barely half of it. You have a perfectly good other half of the bed you can use."
                          
"Wait, are you planning on sleeping here?"
                          
"Obviously"
                          
"What? You can't be serious."
                          
"Do I look like I am joking?"
                          
"Why would you sleep here?"
                          
"So you expect me to keep running back and forth if that stranger returns?"
                          
I think I can be honest in accepting that I was completely enjoying watching P'Arthit pull his hair out in frustration. And as much as I am sure he wished to kick me out even he couldn't find a good argument to do so.
                          
He finally accepted and got ready for bed all the while continuously grumbling under his breath. He laid down on the opposite corner of the bed and I couldn't help but chuckle as he almost fell off before he shifted closer to the center. 
                          
I think his training with Jes must be definitely working since he actually managed to fall asleep for once, although he did seem to have a major sleep mumbling problem. I laid awake staring at the ceiling trying to figure out who exactly was trying to get to P'Arthit. They must definitely know I was around, yet were brave enough to actually knock on his door today. What did they want? I was still deep in thought when P'Arthit jerked awake again.
                          
"Kong! Kong?" He was feeling around the bed blindly as if searching for me in the dark. I could clearly hear the fear in his voice.
                          
"P'Arthit, I am right here. You are safe. Go back to sleep."
                          
He visibly relaxed when he heard my voice as his hands grabbed my arms. I think he might still be partially asleep. He settled back down, much closer to me this time, actually way too close, before mumbling something and falling right back to sleep.
                          
"Oh thank god. Goodnight Kong. I love you."
                          
What did he just say?