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Chapter 5

Nue is clinging to me. Her fingers have only left my arm for not more than three minutes since we met up with her. P'Arthit had a dark cloud over his head as he walked with us, following along with the conversation as if nothing was happening.

"So now we should check out the arcade," Nue declared.

I was surprised that P'Arthit had agreed to come to the mall that just opened only to shop for clothes and jewelry. Nue must have suggested it or maybe she had just brought us here without telling P'Arthit.

"Okay, so we are playing games now."

"Do you play?" she leaned over me to ask P'Arthit.

"A little."

"P'Arthit you play video games?" I looked at him with surprise.

He turned uncomfortable, avoiding my gaze. "Only a little. What are we waiting for, let's go."

In the end, only a little turned out to be a lot. Nue finally abandoned her perch on my arm and began to seriously play a game with P'Arthit. I have never seen P'Arthit get competitive so my eyes were glued to him the entire time.

"heh heh, don't think you can beat me in this, P'Arthit, I am a pro." Nue had her nose up in the air as she handled to joystick like it belonged to her.

"One more try. This time for sure."P'Arthit was glaring at the monitor and began to choose another character.

"Okay! I am going to give you a trashing. You won't win even once against me."

"That's crazy, I'll win at least twice."

P'Arthit didn't win once. it was amazing how hard he actually tried.  Nue was pretty good at this and her attitude and happiness looked genuine, also the black cloud on P'Arthit's head had disappeared at some point.

They moved onto another game even as P'Arthit wanted to go another try on the game. Nue was bored of it and dragged him to another.

"Kongpob," he suddenly glanced at me. "Are you not going to play?"

"I will play this time," I said smiling.

We found another game and this time I was facing off with Nue.

"Ugh, I don't like this game," Nue complained only because she was losing.

"Kongpob, do you play," P'Arthit asked me.

"No, this is my first time."

"No way." The two of them said at the same time, glanced at each other, and smiled. I sighed. This friendship is a little... worrying.

When P'Arthit left to get something for us to eat, Nue and I were playing a car race. She was winning by a good lead so I was thinking of just letting her get the prize.

"You love P'Arthit don't you," Nue said.

My fingers slipped on the wheel and I blinked at the screen before glancing at her. She was smiling, her straight black hair in a ponytail.

"How did you know?"

This time it was her turn to be surprised. She bent the wheel too hard and caused her car to crash. Mine went past while she was trying to recover.

"You love him!? You really love him!?" her voice was a little loud but I didn't correct her.

"Yes."

"Then why aren't you two dating."

"It's none of your business." I pushed her face that was too close and continued to pay full attention to the game.

"Hey, wait a minute. Are you leading him on?" she paused the game and started glaring at me.

"It has nothing to do with you. Why do you care?"

"Because he is my friend."

"Friend huh."

"what." She folded her arms, still glaring hotly. I felt she would hit me if I said too much so I shook my head.

"Listen, you are really all he thinks about. Can't you get over yourself and just date him already? If you don't someone else would take him away. "

Someone else? Yes, P'Arthit could be with anyone if he wanted and there are many people who want him. Rin was the only one I know but in the future, P'Arthit is going to get tired of this relationship that had no name and then he would fall for someone else. That person who is free to love him, to touch him, kiss him and do all kinds of things that I am not allowed to do.

"Hey aren't you holding that wheel too tightly," Nue broke into my thoughts and I realized I was in fact holding it too tightly. What am I so anxious about? Right now P'Arthit loves me and even though I have told him that I won't choose him, he still loves me. It's too early to start worrying about him falling out of love. Though, since it is not a soul mate love that was sure to happen.

"You are kind of a bastard aren't you, Kongpob. I can't believe I thought I liked you." She sighed in regret. "Give me back my pure feelings."

Her hand was stretched to me and I simply slapped on it lightly. "What are you talking about?"

It is better to keep pretending I don't know than face that right now. Issues that do not have solutions are better kept to the side until one is found, right?

"So what are you going to do?"

"Be with him. For as long as I can." That is what I decided to do. It took way too much trouble to reach this decision but I am going to do it this way. When I find my soulmate I will say my final goodbye but surely I won't forget P'Arthit.

"I don't think that is enough. " Nue lost the game and got up from the chair. She seemed like she had made up her mind about something. "I think I am going to steal him from you after all."

I lowered my eyes and tried not to smile.

"You are making fun of me aren't you," she said leaning down to glare at me. I laughed as if agreeing. It was funny to see Nue try to be more accretive when we both know the situation she was really in.

"Think about it," she said, her pink lips tilting up to a smirk. "P'Arthit is actually rich, you know. He is not a nobody. You think my father who has a good relationship with his would object if we decided to be together, especially after you disappoint the family and announce that you won't be marrying me?"

We glared at each other wordlessly. She was absolutely right. I sometimes forget that P'Arthit's family was actually well to do. P'Arthit behaves like he has no money and no ties to his wealthy family that I forgot that he was in fact from the same world as both of us.

"What's going on?!"

I broke gaze with Nue and met the eyes of a furious P'Arthit. It must have looked a little intimate when Nue and I were looking at each other. Did P'Arthit misunderstand something? Anyway, I have something to prove and this should also clear his misunderstanding. I brush past Nue as I stood up and went to P'Arthit. Around me, the people were very few and focused on their games. This should be fine.

P'Arthit's chin was smooth on my finger as I tilted his face to mine and kissed him. Like usual, his mouth was soft, firm and warm, and addictive. It was not my intention but I deepened the kiss. P'Arthit followed me and responded to me so readily I didn't want to pull away. Smiling at his flushed face and blinking eyes, P'Arthit looked thoroughly kissed.

While P'Arthit was still out of it and blinking, I directed my smile to Nue. He belongs to me completely and she doesn't have any chance in hell of taking him away. I hoped she understood.

Nue's face was red, her fingers clenched. "That's cheating!" she cried out and I laughed.
"What the hell," P'Arthit was murmuring next to me. "Why did you do that so suddenly?" I dodged his elbow and kept my distance.

"Sorry, P'Arthit. Did I do something wrong?"

"Are you seriously asking?! Should I kick your ass out here?"

"Sorry, sorry." I apologized deeply. P'Arthit's face was still flushed but he ignored me and approached Nue.
"ne-never mind, here." In his hand were a hamburger and a drink. Nue collected them with a happy cry.
"Chocolate. P'Arthit how did you know I like chocolate?"

"Don't you drink it nearly every day?"

"Oh, so you've been watching me. How embarrassing." Blinking her long lashes, Nue pretended to act bashful.

P'Arthit merely sighed. "Where is mine," I asked.

"Here!" his attitude was way different from how he treated Nue, isn't it? "Go sit way over there now."

"Over here?" I pointed to the seat next to the game we had been playing

"No, a little further."

Like that, I was pushed away from the two and became filled with regret. What came over me to do that to P'Arthit without even asking? After doing my best to wane myself of the last kiss I got from P'Arthit and trying to prevent any further skin-ship, I just kissed him so easily. Now his taste won't leave my mouth for another week. What a setback.

The day ended with me dropping P'Arthit at his home which he shared with Rin and his mother. Rin was surprisingly outside waiting.

"I called her. It looks like we can finally get things back together," P'Arthit had said.

"Are you staying the night?" I asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"nothing." He obviously knew I didn't want him to and just wanted me to say it. He smiled in my face and said,

"I'll see you tomorrow."

I didn't leave until he was inside the house with Rin.

"Who is that," Nue asked next to me. She was still with us because she told her driver to go without her because I would drop her at home. She did it without my consent but P'Arthit still insisted that I take her home

"She is Rin, our rival."

"Rival?"

"If you like P'Arthit then you'll be competing against her."

"You know I don't actually like P'Arthit," she insisted while shooting me daggers with her eyes.

"Yes, I know."

"Even though I know that you are going to call off the wedding," she said and trailed off. I let the silence sit. If I am right then the one she likes is me. Nue wasn't a bad person and I didn't want to add her to the list of people I have to keep rejecting so honestly, her closeness to P'Arthit really worries me.

"Why did you decide to be P'Arthit's friend?"

"What, did you want us to be enemies?" her tone was harsh and biting.

I shrugged my shoulders and turned the car into the road at full speed. "If you really think it's a good idea then I won't stop you. The fiancée and the mistress aren't supposed to be friends is all I am saying."

She laughed a little harder than was needed. I shot her a look of annoyance and she said, "that's too funny, Kongpob. I'm going to tell P'Arthit you called him a mistress on Monday."

My face lost all color. "Don't, he is going to kick the shit out of me."

"Well you deserve it." she huffed and glared out the window. The breeze of the night was truly cold and it fluttered Nue's hair. When I glanced at her, she wasn't glaring but a shade covered her face.

"Hey, can you not tell P'Arthit?"

"Tell him what?"

She made an annoyed sound and I just smiled in return. It wasn't something I wanted to advertise to the man I love when he is already so sad about my soulmate. Telling him that the woman I am supposed to marry is in love with me would just crush him.

"if you tell him it's only going to make things awkward and I like him, but I get the feeling he'd only let me get closer if he doesn't know how I feel."

"Don't get too close though, is what I want to say but I won't stop you, Nue."

"Even if I want to do more than get closer?" Her smile came through her voice.

"I thought I already showed you that is not going to happen."

"About that..." she trailed off as I packed the car in front of the white mansion in front of us. The place was alight causing the building to look like it was glowing. "Can you %%%?"

Nue was blushing to the tips of her ears and fisting her dress in a nervous grip. "What did you say?"

She grunted and moved towards me, the seats crinkled by the movement. She had her face in front of mine in seconds and her lips touched mine for a mere instant. I blinked at her closed eyes and she pulled away. Without words, she gathered up her things, her neck and face red. She rushed out of my car without looking at me once. I hope she gained something from that. It seemed like she was trying to uncover something for herself just now.

I started my car after I saw her disappear into the building. Riding back to P'Arthit's place was almost by instinct. I want to see him, just for a little while. Would he be angry? No, I smiled to myself. He would pretend to be angry but would be very pleased. Would he try to kiss me? God, I hope he does. Only if P'Arthit does it can I take the blame from myself and maybe the soulmate bound won't react anymore. But if he doesn't?

My grip tightened on the wheels and the car accelerated further.

The author has something to say: thank you guys so much for voting and supporting this story, even inviting others. I can't believe how much love you guys have for it. although i would like to say that i am going to bring another chapter like usual, this is the only chapter i have right now. i will keep writing and won't give up until this story is over. thanks for motivating me and i hope you enjoyed this chapter.