Chapter 6 – A New Perspective
He stood patiently by the Sperbunds’ doorstep as he always did every morning since he learned how to ride a bicycle. Going to school, or anywhere else for that matter, with Yaya had been an ingrained part of his routine that Uncle Kitti practically gave him a copy of the house key already. Yet somehow he liked waiting for someone to open the door – much like how he realized over the years how he had always waited for his best friend to open up her heart for him.
Yaya’s heart seemed to have finally been opened, yet he was clearly and painfully made aware that it was for someone else and not for him. Yet the thought that the door to her home would always be open for him gave him some comfort. Before he could wallow even deeper into his self-pity, the door to Yaya’s house finally opened and he could not help but step back when an anxious look greeted him.
“James, are you okay now son?” Yaya’s mom asked worriedly she saw him by their doorstep, gripping the straps of his backpack against his chest.
He quickly moved his hands and gave her a solemn wai and said, “Good morning Auntie, I am fine now. Thank you very much for the porridge you made for me. I wouldn’t have recovered as fast without it.”
“Oh my poor sweet child - getting sick while your mother is away,” Auntie murmured as she placed an affectionate hand at a side of James’s head. “It’s all right, Auntie is here. Come inside quickly, have you taken your temperature? No more fever? Do you have a jacket with you? It might rain later. Are you hungry son? Would you like some soup? Auntie can fix something up for you before you go to school.”
James merely grinned at the barrage of questions that Yaya’s mom gave him. He had never seen a more caring person than Yaya’s mother, and he remembered several times in his childhood when he envied Yaya for having a mother like her. Yet Auntie treated him much like a son and so he had no reason to be envious anymore.
As soon as he reached the dining area, Grandma was there, and she too gave him the same ministrations as Auntie. He was quickly ushered down one of the chairs and Grandma looked him over.
“Oh my, you still look a tad bit pale to me. Kanda, do you still have chicken stock there? We could make soup with mustard leaves and -”
“- Grandma, I’m fine, don’t worry about me,” James laughed as he held Grandma’s hand firmly with both of his. “Please do not bother, Grandma. I’m just here to pick up Yaya so we could go to the University together.”
“It is no bother, my child,” Grandma cooed to him as she moved to place her hand behind James to rub his back. “I told you, you are no stranger in this house. You might as well be my grandson.”
Perhaps Grandma would never know the comfort that her words gave him for he felt more warmth in this house than in his own.
“I knew it! James is your favorite, after all!” James suddenly heard Yaya’s teasing voice from behind Grandma and he averted his gaze from the kindly old matriarch of the Sperbund family to look at its princess.
Grandma shook her head and left James’s side to go to the kitchen with her daughter while it was Yaya’s turn to greet James.
She roughly slapped her hand against his forehead that James had to lean back on the chair and adjust his glasses.
Some things never change, he thought as he laughed inwardly until he saw…
“Oy James, you still seem a bit warm to me. Are you really ok?” she asked with a frown.
James gulped, glad that Yaya didn’t notice that it was something else that made him feel warm. Yaya wore a yellow wrap dress that fell right above her knees, showing off her long smooth white legs. Her collarbone peeked through the V-neckline of her dress where a simple small gold pendant lay against it. Her hair was loose and tied neatly to frame her face with a white ribbon as its ends fell softly against her full round shoulders – and her eyes… her long lashes framed her bright eyes and her pinkish cheeks just made her bloom like the flowers of spring. Her full lips looked so smooth and kissa-
“Oy James!” This time, Yaya had to place her hand at the back of James’s head that he had to readjust his glasses again. She chuckled as he continued to stare at her with his mouth hanging slightly open.
“You’re….wearing make-up,” he mumbled dumbly - and when he realized the words that came out of his mouth, he mentally kicked himself for stating the obvious instead of telling her what was really in his heart. Scrap that, his heart was beating so fast, he probably would have said something unintelligible if he did say something from the heart. He had never seen Yaya look so beautiful and so ladylike.
“Is it too much?” Yaya asked, suddenly conscious as she placed her hand against her cheek. She took a step back and likewise fidgeted with her dress.
“OH YAYA MY DARLING GIRL!” Her mom suddenly squealed as she got out of the kitchen while still holding a ladle. “I bought that dress ages ago and I never thought you would actually wear it. Oh my, you look so beautiful.”
Soon her grandma likewise followed suit and the two women gushed at her, and made her give them a twirl.
James continued to stare at her dumbly as he sat on the chair, powerless. He had always known how beautiful she was. Now with her looking like that, he wasn’t sure if he, or any other man for that matter, could hold back any longer.
Yaya then looked away from her mother and grandmother and then gave James another questioning glare. Yaya’s big brown eyes met James’s still stunned ones that they failed to see the knowing smiles at the elders’ faces.
James awkwardly stood up from his seat upon hearing Grandma’s encouraging “ehem”. He took a few steps to be right in front of Yaya and finally blurted out, “My lady… would you mind telling me your name?” He then leaned closer to Yaya and when they were face to face, he said, “Would you mind giving me your heart since you just took mine?”
With her breath caught at her throat, she felt her heart skipping a beat at seeing James’s intense bespectacled gaze. Regaining her composure, she slapped his arm once again and laughed.
“W-what?” James laughed himself, “That’s what the guy said in that lakorn Grandma was watching.”
Both Grandma and Mom just shook their heads at the two. As they went back to what they were doing in the kitchen, they both wondered when the kids would grow up and be serious for once, not knowing that they were indeed more grown up as they thought.
“You’re so beautiful Ya,” he murmured.
Yaya just grinned. “Do I look more like an Uptown Girl?”
“You mean, like an
It Girl?”James asked, confusedly.
Yaya laughed when she realized that she and James thought the same way.
“Well son, since our Yaya dressed up like that especially for you, you better not be thinking about getting sick all the time,” Grandma joked from inside the kitchen, “Don’t worry my boy, we’ll fill her closet with dresses from now on.”
The meaning was not lost to him as he came back to his senses. Of course Yaya started dressing up nicely, but not for him.
“Grandma, you better have another dress ready for Yaya’s internship day tomorrow,” James said loud enough for Grandma to hear from inside the kitchen, earning him another playful slap on his arm from Yaya for his teasing.
Soon Yaya dragged him back to the dining table and let him sit in one of the chairs. She then sat beside him and whispered, “Arch. Gundon said he’ll pass by the University today. He says he has important news about the Tools Innovation Program of CCV.”
James listened with knotted eyebrows, not really knowing what to say, not really knowing how to hide his pain from realizing what he already should have known from the start – that she really did dress up prettily for another guy.
“It’s about your internship James!” She said more excitedly, but still softly as though to keep her mother and grandmother from hearing it. “It seems Mr. Chesney is interested in getting you!”
James smiled slightly, feeling that he had to reciprocate Yaya’s excitement though in truth he felt nothing worth celebrating, “Really? Just what did you put in my resume anyway, Yaya? You might have exaggerated something; Mr. Chesney would just get disappointed.”
“Silly!” She admonished him slightly, “You’ve consistently been in the Dean’s List and all the professors in the Math Department know you. The Mechanical Engineering’s laboratory and workshop are filled with your models, and of course, I wrote there that you’re the best friend of Yaya Sperbund, their most wonderful and number 1 intern.” She grinned as she placed one of her arms around his shoulders. “I’m so excited!”
James shook his head and tried to focus on their conversation instead of floundering with his aching heart, “What is that Tools Innovation thing about anyway? You never got to explain it over the phone last night.”
“Well, I saw a poster of it yesterday at CCV,” Yaya started, “and it says that it’s a competition of some sort for college students from other courses apart from architecture. Basically, you just have to have a team and build a tool that can help engineers or architects in making structures!”
“A team?” he asked, thinking it was more complicated than he thought. “Did you give them resumes of other people?”
“No, silly,” she said, “I entered you as a team leader. You’ll be designing the tool after all. Then as for your team, well… we can get… well… don’t you know anyone?”
The mere fact that she had to ask made it obvious that she likewise knew that he had no other close friends apart from her.
Seeing the worried look in her eyes, which he simply cannot bear, he said, “I think I know who to ask. That is if I get picked in the first place,” James said casually as he smiled, “we’ll make a good team for sure.”
“Yes! That’s the spirit!” Yaya said, the excitement back in her voice. “It’ll be awesome James! You’ll see!”
He smiled in reply, thinking that the work she gave him would probably be the distraction that he needed, to let him live without his heart.
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Pai and his posse were on the prowl again. This time, they were in the library, walking in a single file. They nearly towered over the shelves, yet what made them stand out the most was the fact that the football team looked like warriors who never had the need for books, not that they seem inclined to read in the first place.
They were a focused bunch, with eyes on the ball and their aims right on target. It was a pity they couldn’t give the same attention to their academic subjects, but at least they can think of means to try to improve their grades, enough to make them pass. Of course they were not very sportsmanlike means, but at least somehow it can get the task done.
“Captain, they’re over there!” one of Pai’s lackeys whispered as he pointed towards the corner table, hidden by the nook of the library.
The studying students knew trouble when they saw it and so they moved away to try to avoid it. Soon Pai and his men stopped before the corner table and formed a barricade around it, granting no escape for their prey.
Four young men looked from side to side, seemingly in an effort to draw courage from each other. They tried not to cower, thinking they were in their turf – They were in the library, a place for exercising mental muscles, after all. As far as intellect is concerned, the football team ain’t got nothing on them.
First in line was Gap Jakarin, sophomore Computer Engineering student. He specializes in computer hardware development. He assembles CPUs just like how military cadets assemble riffles. He values accuracy more than anything else… well, except perhaps for cleanliness, order and organization. His strongest subjects are algebra and statistics.
Next to him is Joker Paphan, sophomore Biology student. One may not be able to guess why he was named “Joker” despite having an elusive smile. In his heart, he hides a grandiose dream – that is, to become a doctor, but not for the purpose of saving lives, but actually
making things come to life. His strongest subject is science.
Second in command is Tor Thanapob, junior Sociological Anthropology student. Naturally curious, his thirst for knowledge is often suppressed by his shy nature. Yet he has ways and means of getting information, others may call it stalking, but to his mind, he is just being a modern ninja, keeping alive the Japanese’s long sacred tradition of stealth. His strongest subject is history.
Finally, the leader is Good Chayapol Phanhakarn, currently taking Masters in Business Administration. Although micro economics and accounting had been his bread and butter, his real passion is English literature. The world has yet to know about his authorship of literary works, though he already has some followers online. Of course they would probably never guess who he is in real life, or that he is a man for that matter. His strongest subject is English.
“Geekazoids, why are you always cooped up in here? Didn’t your mothers ever tell you that you need to be out in the sun once in a while?” Pai started as he leaned down and messed the paper and the books that were in their desk with just one sweep of his hand. “You guys look as pale and frail as paper.”
Gap’s left eye twitched a bit as his shaking hands moved to fix the mess Pai just did. Tor leaned back and seemed to almost hide behind Good’s back and Joker merely stared at the group. Good quickly cleared his throat and defiantly asked, “Do you even know why you need to be out in the sun in the first place?”
Pai laughed once and hit the table forcefully again, messing up the papers that Gap just fixed. “You need to be out in the sun to let your skin bake a little, duh! It’s so simple.”
“Bake, are you a piece of bread?” Good grinned subtly as he turned his head away from the football team.
Joker fixed his glasses and pushed it up the bridge of his nose before he said, “Electrocyclic reaction from solar ultraviolet radiation is said to aid production of cholecalciferol within the epidermal layer of the human external membrane.”
Pai and his posse looked at each other as Joker seemed to talk another language.
“He said the sunlight helps produce Vitamin D in your skin,” Tor chirped as he tried to suppress his laugh. He had to move back and hide behind Good again when Pai suddenly lunged once more on the table and reached out to clutch Good and Joker’s collars at the same time.
“Whatever Geekazoids. What use are your brains for if you can’t even remember simple instructions,” Pai grumbled. “How many times must we tell you to lay off the empty shack by the football field?”
Joker bit his lip while Good muttered, “It is not your ‘shack’, it is the University’s property and we filed the proper permits with the Chancellor to get it.”
Tor watched in horror as Pai lifted both Joker and Good from their seats and Gap took the opportunity to fix the books in the table with Pai’s attention focused somewhere else.
“It’s right beside the football field where we practice every day, naturally the shack should belong to us. It would have been a more worthy place for our locker room than whatever it is you were going to do with it,” Pai said in a near growl.
“The MLD club is the only club in the University without a room, and according to Rule 17, Section 4 of the Student Handbook, that gives us first dibs on empty facilities within campus!” Good said.
“HA! Club? The four of you have a club?” Pai smirked. “Why don’t you just hang out at 7-11 or something?”
“Such a small commercial establishment may not be able to hold the sheer number of the members of our league,” Joker replied softly, his expression still unflappable. “The Mages of the Lagoon Deck are merely lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to draw our cards for a worthy duel.”
Before Pai could utter a word, Tor piped up and said “He said - ”
“-I don’t care what he said!” Pai growled, finally out of patience. “You owe us big time!”
Just when Pai dropped Good and Joker back to their seats and raised his hands to sweep the table once more, Gap suddenly stood up and said “Shhhhhhh!!!!!!”
Pai stopped his actions midway, surprised at Gap’s reaction. Yet when he tried to move once more, he was stopped yet again by a coughing sound behind him.
They all turned and…
“Mr. Visarut, I would like to remind you that this is a library and noise cannot be tolerated!” An elderly woman with thick rimmed glasses and a haughty expression that rivaled that of Noey’s suddenly admonished them from behind. “You! All of you are going to have to go to the University Chancellor’s office for violating the rules. Especially you Mr. Visarut! I would have expected more from the team captain of the university’s football team.”
Gap visibly paled at hearing his involvement in violating the rules - he who held order and rules sacred. He remained still because of shock as Tor did the task of fixing up his things and placing it on his bag for him.
Soon the football team exited the library meekly, in a single file in the same way as they came, while the MLD club followed suit while ushered by the old librarian. The students watched in wonder how the Warriors of the Field and the Mages of the Lagoon (deck) would fare in a single room before the head of the University.
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“Yaya, slow down,” James called as he picked up his pace to catch up with her.
She stopped sprinting by the border of the pavement and the grassy field of the football field upon hearing his voice. She turned around quickly and waited for him.
James soon reached her side and bent down slightly as he caught his breath. “Well… it seems you’re used to wearing high heels after all,” he said in between breaths. “You walk as quickly in those as when you’re wearing your sneakers.
“Sorry James, it’s just that… Arch. Gundon said he’d be ending his meeting with the Chancellor soon and…” Yaya bit her lip, looking giddy with excitement. “Oh James, I’m sorry! I forgot you just came from a fever.” She calmed down as she remembered how she observed something different about James that day. Mostly he appeared to be the same good old James to her, yet there was something in him… he seemed too calm, almost lethargic, or perhaps even… lonely? She couldn’t exactly put a finger on it, but she figured it was because he was still recovering from his recent bout with sickness.
James chuckled upon seeing her concerned gaze and shook his head, glad she didn’t know that his physical condition was the least of what made his feet feel like a ton each. “I told you, I’m fine; let’s go Yaya.”
Instead of following the path, he wasn’t too surprised to see her cross the football field and take a short cut instead.
“Oy! Yaya!” he called, hoping to warn her about the soft soil and the heels of her shoes and –
Sure enough her high heel pushed against the ground and she lost her balance. James was quickly by her side to catch her with his surprisingly strong arms locking her in against his firm chest. She soon found her arms by his torso as she leaned against his body for support. She turned her head and their eyes met and she felt her heart skip a beat yet again upon seeing his concerned eyes looking at her so intently that she could see her surprised expression reflected in them.
His heart felt like leaping from his chest when he saw about to fall yet the moment he caught her in his arms he suddenly felt frozen. Time stood still as he held her in his embrace and he wondered if her heart beat just as fast as his.
Soon the wind blew hard in the middle of the field and Yaya quickly closed her eyes and the spell ended. James moved to steady her and he dropped his arms by his side but held them close enough to wait and see if she had regained her balance. She then squinted as she unconsciously placed one hand against his arm.
“There’s something in my eye,” she whispered and he couldn’t help but lean closer worriedly as he tried to see what it was.
She lifted her other hand and was just about to rub her eyes when James suddenly caught her hand with his and placed his other hand gently against her face. He then looked closer to inspect her eyes and Yaya felt the weird feeling in her chest once more. He tilted her head slightly, lifting it up so he could look closer into her eyes when suddenly Yaya saw him lean down and his lips were about to touch her with a ki…
She was caught off guard when she felt James’s breath against her eyes as he blew on her eyelashes. Finally aware of what he was doing, she tried to stand still and placed both of her hand against his arms for balance. As soon as he was done, she squinted once more and pushed herself away from him and then fluttered her eyes open.
“Better?” James asked as he took an unconscious step back after he realized how close they were.
“Huh… That’s amazing,” Yaya mumbled when she opened her eyes and indeed felt better. “Thank you, James. I would have smudged my make up if not for you.”
“Then Arch. Gundon would have thought you were a raccoon,” he muttered teasingly, earning a playful jab from Yaya. “Come on, be more careful all right?” he grinned as he pulled her elbow and helped her cross the field, more slowly this time.
Yaya tried to focus on the path ahead as she tried to shake off the odd feeling in her heart. It was strange. James was a brother to her and they practically grew up together. In their childhood they often fell asleep beside each other after playing all day long. Even now that they were no longer kids, she could practically tickle him all over and vice versa without feeling any awkwardness at all. Yet why was it that when she looked into his eyes that day, when she was caught in his arms that day, that she suddenly felt something...different? Had she not stared in his eyes for so long that his gaze suddenly changed before she knew it? Could it have something to do with the loneliness she saw in him that day?
He was just recovering from sickness, wasn’t he? She thought,
stop dwelling too much on it! But there was a nagging feeling in her gut. There was something different about him.
What she didn’t realize was that it was she who was different. As they approached the Chancellor’s office, with James still holding Yaya’s elbow as they walked, he felt a twinge in his heart as he realized that he was practically leading her to be with another man. It was not just any man, but her
first love. His best friend who vowed weeks ago that she would not fall in love finally found the man who changed her mind. Whether she would indeed fall in love or not was still an open question. But the fact that he had to be there to give her away, even when she never was his to begin with, was hard enough as it was. Just the mere thought of it made him die a little.
Yaya broke off from his hold the moment they reached the concrete ground once more as she nearly sprinted towards the door of the Chancellor’s office. James merely smiled to himself bitterly, cursing his weakness for his fate. Her happiness was his weakness – and seeing, with his own eyes, how much she was so alive and cheerful just made the pain seem worth suffering.
“There seems to be trouble inside,” Yaya gasped as she walked back to where James stood. He gave her a questioning glance and waited for her to elaborate, “Pai and the football team are in there. So are the guys from the MLD.”
Great. James thought as he realized that fate took another jab at him. “Why is it that Pai has to show up whenever I’m miserable,” he grumbled under his breath.
“What did you say, James?” Yaya asked curiously, failing to catch what he just said. James merely shook his head and unconsciously rubbed the back of his head.
Soon the football team, followed by the MLD club and the chancellor went out the door and went out to where James and Yaya stood. Last in line was Architect Gundon and James did not miss the look that passed between him and Yaya.
Fair’s eyes brightened up the moment he saw her and he smiled that kind smile of his, making his dimples show. He eyed her from head to toe and James was sure he had the same thoughts as he did when he first saw her that morning. Yaya too smiled that special smile of hers that James had noticed since she had known Fair.
“Jirayu! Just the man I needed to see!” the Chancellor spoke up, shaking James from his reverie, “Hey, Jirayu!”
“Uh… Yes sir,” James suddenly stood in attention as he shifted his gaze away from them and focused on the old man.
“Arch. Gundon here discussed with me CCV’s latest project. He asked me to allow you to earn credits for some of your subjects for participating in this project. We were having such a wonderful and productive discussion until THEY came into the picture.” The Chancellor placed his hands on his hips and glared at the football team and MLD. “Quite a shame, really. Back in Fair’s days as Captain, these things never happened.”
“Oh no sir,” Fair blurted out as he placed his hand lightly on the Chancellor’s shoulder, “I’m afraid our team likewise had some scuffles and brought trouble to you during our time.”
“No Fair. Trust me. These guys bring in more trouble than I could bear!” Chancellor grumbled. “Can’t even pass the qualifying exams. Pretty soon, we might have to close up the Football team.”
At the Chancellor’s words, Pai and his team pretty much paled and nearly groveled. “But sir! We passed calculus didn’t we!? Here, here - ” Pai then reached out and dragged James closer towards the Chancellor, “He tutored us pretty well.”
“James did?” the Chancellor gasped, unable to believe it, especially upon seeing how James looked like a sheep among the wolves of the football club. “Well come to think of it, it’s not surprising for the math genius of the Mechanical Engineering department to do the job. No wonder Mr. Chesney saw his potential.”
James suddenly felt a bit awkward upon seeing everyone’s attention on him, especially when Pai’s heavy hand was still in his shoulder. James looked back and gave Pai a glare which he learned from Noey that the bigger man suddenly stepped back. Tor was surprised to see that the whole team stepped back with just one look from James. Suddenly he wondered what could have transpired among them during the supposed tutoring session.
“I got it. Since you boys are all old for detention, anyway, I should give you this punishment instead,” The Chancellor smiled gleefully as he rubbed his hands together. “Gap, Joker, Tor, and Good – you boys must tutor the football team in all subjects to help them pass the preliminary exams. As an incentive, I’ll give you a better room for your club, in the new building, should you accomplish this task.” The Chancellor then walked towards the football team and eyed them one by one, “You boys must pass the preliminary exams, in all subjects, else I would have no choice but to dissolve the football club… and send you all back to preparatory school.”
“Chancellor! With all due respect… we… well… Look at us and look at them!” Good blurted out as pleaded their case. “I think learning is the least thing these guys would want to do with us!”
“James was able to do it singlehandedly, didn’t he?” the Chancellor countered and James gulped as he remembered the events of that fateful day.
Yaya’s eyebrows knotted worriedly as she realized what James had gone through the other day.
He was with Pai? No wonder he got sick. “But Chancellor, James isn’t feeling-”
James looked back and merely smiled at Yaya before he looked back at the Chancellor. “It’s okay Chancellor. I will assist them in tutoring the football club if you stay firm in your order,” He said in a soft tone. “I must stick with my comrades, after all.”
The MLD club continued to view James as their hero and so they nearly wept at his words.
Yaya stepped in front of James protectively as though she were shielding him from the boys of the football club. She glared at Pai and his posse, issuing a silent threat, “But James, Pai has always picked - ”
“- I’ll be fine Yaya,” he said firmly as he gave her another smile. James stood his ground and she saw that he looked nearly as tall as their nemesis. For once, Yaya realized that he wasn’t the scrawny boy she had to protect from bullies in the playground anymore. That’s right. James had been with her and had been supporting her, surely he can hold his own and he was more capable than she gave him credit for. She believed in him just as much as he believed in her.
Fair looked at James and Yaya and noticed their closeness. They were best friends, Yaya told him that, but he didn’t realize they were that close. Had he not known any better, he would have thought that they were…
“And about the CCV Project, since we’re all here,” the Chancellor cleared his throat as he drew Fair’s attention, disrupting his most recent thought. “Well James, seeing that you’ll be with these guys and you have talked about being ‘comrades’, why don’t you all team up and represent the school for this project?”
“That is a wonderful idea Chancellor,” Fair said as he eyed everyone, “I’m sure even the football team would be able to help in this endeavor, right boys?”
“Yeah, sure,” Pai mumbled as he saw Yaya’s threatening glare, and James’s haughty expression just behind her.
“Wonderful, simply wonderful, I’m glad you dropped by Fair,” Chancellor said with a big smile on his face, “I have never resolved so many problems all at once.”
“Oh Chancellor, you are too humble,” Fair replied.
“Now if you would only take my offer and teach an elective next semester…”
“Oh… I’m sorry Chancellor, Perhaps we could talk about it some other time,” Fair said as he glanced towards Yaya, “Right now I have to go over some computations with Ms. Sperbund.”
“Right, right,” Chancellor grinned as he shook his head. He lifted his hand and waved to everyone, thus dismissing all those concerned, “I’ll be back at my office in case I am needed again,” he said.
They all gave the Chancellor a wai and he disappeared from their sight. Soon the football team ran off while the MLD boys reluctantly stayed on the side of the Chancellor’s office, hoping to put a distance between them and the football team as they planned their escape route in the event that the football team decides to retaliate.
“Hello James, we meet again,” Fair smiled as casually placed a hand against James’s upper arm.
“Good afternoon Arch. Gundon,” he said as he gave him a wai. “Thank you for talking to the Chancellor for me.”
“Oh it’s nothing. Hope I didn’t put you into more trouble by the way,” Fair replied as he eyed the football team who were now quite far away. “Were we that much of a nuisance back then?”
“Not like Pai, I bet,” Yaya muttered, “That guy has been a bully since we were children.”
“Oh, you all know each other since you were kids?” Fair asked curiously, to which Yaya nodded.
“That guy, he never grew up,” Yaya said as she shook her head.
“Well I’m glad he’s the only one,” Fair said under his breath though Yaya and James still heard him. “Had I not been so lucky, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to behold such a beautiful lady.”
Yaya blushed at his words and blushed even more as she saw his teasing expression.
James felt awkward as he stood there, feeling out of place and unneeded. He stepped back unconsciously until Yaya noticed him to be far away.
“Why don’t the two of you join me for coffee or something?” Fair offered.
Yaya looked back and smiled at Fair, showing how much she loved the idea. James on the other hand stayed behind, knowing what he must do yet his heart continued to have second thoughts.
“You guys were not able to eat dinner last time. I think this time the two of you ought to go,” James said with a shaky voice.
“James!” Yaya grumbled his name silently as she gave him a glare. James merely nodded his head subtly, as though encouraging her to go.
James looked to his side and saw the MLD Club still there and he blurted out, “I need to talk to my team anyways.”
“Are you sure?” Fair asked as he walked closer to Yaya. She blushed once more upon seeing him near and she looked at James with a hesitant look in her eyes.
“We’ll follow you and we can probably stay in another table so you guys can concentrate on your ‘computations’,” James told Fair as his eyes remained focused on Yaya.
“That’s a sound plan I guess.” Fair then stayed behind Yaya, lifted his hand by his chest to show gratitude then mouthed, “Thanks a lot, man,” to James.
James merely grinned and nodded towards Yaya.
She soon placed her hand tentatively on Fair’s arm as he offered it and started walking, but not before she threw James another hesitant look. James merely placed his hand against his chest, clenched his fist and tapped his heart, as was his way of encouraging her. She smiled then walked away.
He stayed behind and continued to look at her longingly, wondering how much more he can endure.
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Notes: I decided to go with Great's brother instead of Boy Pakorn's brother for the simple reason that I've heard Good speak English and I need an English tutor for the football club.
. I want to say more but I'm so sleepy it's past 1 am here right now.
