"Who is Mild?" Arthit stood there looking at Nina with her shoes in his hands.

"Go after Kongpob!" Nina yanked on Arthit's arm ushering him to move.

Arthit quickly ran through the doors. From afar, he sees Kongpob get into a taxi. There's no way to catch up to him. He pulled out his cell phone, and tried calling Kongpob, but it went straight to his voicemail. Then Arthit realized he was still holding Nina's shoes, so he turned to go back.

When he got back inside, he saw Nina frantically dialing on her phone. Panic was visible on her face, and she clutched her chest.

Arthit ran back to her with her shoes. "Kongpob left in a taxi. I couldn't catch him. Are you okay? Who is Mild? What is going on?"

"She's.... she's the one that broke Kongpob. We have to find him." Nina stepped in front of Arthit grabbing his hands.

Arthit is lost for words. He has never seen Kongpob have such a dramatic reaction. Kongpob has always been calm and collected.

"So, she's an ex-girlfriend of his?" Arthit asked.

"She is the only ex-girlfriend. Kongpob hasn't had another relationship since her. You are the only one that has meant anything to him since. Please Arthit, help me. Save him." Nina is now on the verge of tears.

"What am I supposed to do? Maybe he went home." Arthit is so confused.

Sonya comes rushing. "Where is he?"

Sonya looked around, and turned back to the two of them standing there.

"He ran out the back door, and left in a taxi." Nina answered in distraught.

Sonya calls her bodyguards, and Kongpob's bodyguards to go look for Kongpob.

"Maybe he just wants to be alone. Maybe we should just give him some space." Arthit said.

"No. We have to find him. I can't lose my son." Sonya said as she frantically ran back into the ballroom.

"What does she mean?" Arthit asked as Sonya's back disappeared through the doors. He turned back to Nina.

"Kongpob.... Kongpob has tried to take his life before. When he ran away, he was found in a puddle of his own blood. We can't lose him." Nina's tears has now started streaming down her face.

To say Arthit was shocked would be an understatement. He never would have guessed such a self-assured and confident person such as Kongpob would ever try to take his own life. Arthit now realizes why they are so worried, and he is worried too. What would Kongpob do? Where is he going? He doesn't know.

Arthit helped Nina put her shoes back on, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to support her. He guided her to leave through the same back door that Kongpob ran out of. They didn't want to go through the front entrance where the paparazzi was still waiting around.

~~~~~~

Kongpob walked along the river aimlessly. He left the hotel, and got on the first taxi he saw. He just needed some air, and some time alone. He turned off his cell phone because his mother kept calling, and he also didn't want to be tracked.

The weather is rather pleasant this evening with a gentle breeze. The lights reflected on the river, and it sparkled as gentle currents rolled across the water surface. There weren't many people around, and the sound of traffic above the bridge was distant and faint. Leaving Kongpob to his own thoughts.

Images of his younger self riding a bicycle with Mild sitting in the back seat swinging her feet comes to mind. Somehow Kongpob had lost balance of the bicycle causing them to fall. Mild had scraped her knees, and got up chasing Kongpob for a beating. They were only seventeen at the time. He remembered running to the convenience store to buy a first aid kit to treat her scrape, and she said that if there's a scar after it heals, then he would have to marry her because it's his fault. Kongpob said to her, "I hope there will be a scar, then you will be stuck with me forever."

Kongpob sat down on that exact same bench, and took a deep breath. He remembered searching for Mild for two years before he gave up because he had learned that Mild had married someone else. He never did see her in person since the day she disappeared from his life. A part of him just wants to know why did she just leave him without saying a single word. Was any of it real?

Seeing her tonight brought back a lot of memories that he had stored away. He remembers the pain and longing he suffered. The hurt and the emptiness she had left him in. There were nights he drowned himself with bottles after bottles. It got to the point that he couldn't sleep without a drink. M was the one that kept him from becoming an alcoholic.

Kongpob didn't like himself very much at that time. He was so weak. He can't believe he was so naive, and so gullible. That's why he vowed to never let it happen again.

Now this. Why did Mild come to him like this? She obviously planned for this, what does she expect from him? What does she want? Why now? These are the questions that are weighing on his mind.

~~~~~~

Nina had gone home to change, and went back out with Arthit to search for Kongpob. But after a couple of hours of searching, Nina's parents demanded her to return home due to her health conditions. Her family sent out help of their own, and called the local police department to search for Kongpob.

Arthit has gone to every place he can think of. He realized that he really doesn't know that much about Kongpob, and his past. Kongpob has mentioned that he had a girlfriend in the past, but he thought it must have been one of many. How can it be possible that he only had one girlfriend in the past?

And to think that Kongpob had loved someone so much that he almost took his own life pained him. A vulnerable Kongpob is almost unimaginable, and Arthit's heart ached at the thought.

Why did she come back? What does she want? Does she want him back? Does Kongpob still love her? Kongpob wouldn't have reacted this way if he didn't right? Questions after questions came to Arthit.

As Arthit walked along a bridge, a few tears escaped. He wiped his tears away telling himself he doesn't do tears anymore. From afar, he can see the marketplace he had went with Kongpob. In the short span of time that he has known Kongpob, they have made a lot of good memories. In matter of fact, there has not been a day that Kongpob hasn't put a smile on his face. He recalls the unfortunate events that led him to Kongpob, and now maybe they weren't that bad anymore.

Then all the sudden, it came to him that he hasn't gone to Davika's Fashion House yet. Arthit hailed a taxi to Davika's. Under normal circumstances, Arthit would not want to see Davika, but right now, he doesn't care. All he cares about is finding Kongpob. Even if Kongpob still loves Mild, he still wants to make sure Kongpob is safe.

When he reached Davika's Fashion House, the place was dark, and the door was locked. He peered inside, and he noticed there was light in the back. So, he knocked on the glass door.

After knocking a few times with no answer, Arthit was ready to leave. However, he saw something move in the back, and soon a figure started to approach.

It was Davika. She looked a little scared. She unlocked the door, and opened a crack.

"Arthit, what are you doing here?" Davika asked suspiciously looking from side to side of Arthit.

"I'm looking for Kongpob. Have you seen him?"

"No, I haven't. Wait. Isn't today the auction ball?" Davika asked.

"Yes, he was there, but he left without saying anything." Arthit didn't know how much he can or should say.

"What? That doesn't sound like him. Come inside first." Davika opened the door further to let Arthit in.

"I'm sorry to bother you. I really shouldn't stay. I need to go find Kongpob." Arthit nervously followed Davika.

Davika switched on the main light, and pointed to the lounge chairs to Arthit.

"Sorry, it took me so long to answer the door. I'm here alone, and I had to check the security cameras before opening for you." Davika said as she went to grab two bottles of water.

"That's okay. You probably shouldn't be here so late by yourself though."

"I'm used to it. So, tell me what happened." Davika asked as she pulled out her phone to call Kongpob.

"Uhm, I don't know much, but a woman named Mild was there tonight. Actually, she won the bid for Kongpob tonight. And Kongpob ran away after the auction."

Davika dropped her phone hearing the name Mild. She quickly picked her phone back up, and dialed Kongpob again.

Arthit is even more nervous now seeing Davika's reaction.

"Do you think he will be okay?" Arthit asked worriedly.

Davika thought about it. And seeing how worried Arthit looked, she didn't want to say anything that would make it worse. "I think he probably just needs some time. He is a big boy. Don't worry too much."

"I know, but Nina said that he....he..once tried to take his own life because of her. I've looked everywhere I can think of, and now I'm here." Arthit looked down rubbing his face in his palms.

"That's not true. It's not what happened." Davika said as she put her phone down.

Arthit shot up his head quickly. "What do you mean?"

"Kongpob got cuts from climbing through a glass window. He was hurt pretty badly, but he didn't intentionally hurt himself. He told me himself. He probably would have died if they hadn't found him though. His mother and Nina are just too protective, and refused to believe otherwise. They are so convinced that he was suicidal, that they still don't believe him when he said he wasn't." Davika tried to explain to Arthit.

"So, he didn't try to kill himself?"

"No way. He was heartbroken for sure, but his bratty self would never have tried to kill himself." Davika could see Arthit visibly relieved to hear that.

"Arthit, I can tell you really care about him, and he told me about his feelings for you too before he went to Japan. So, are you two together now?" Davika asked with mixed emotions.

Arthit nodded. He was surprised to hear that Kongpob had talked to Davika about him.

"Do you like him too?" Arthit asked.

"Yes. I've loved him for many years now, but I'm learning to let him go." Davika said honestly as her own heart still aches.

"You two would be perfect for each other." Arthit said softly.

"No, Arthit. That's not how love works. He doesn't love me. I've been here all this time, and he couldn't see me. But you, you are different. You may not know it, but what he has done for you, he has never done for anyone. He loves you." Davika doesn't even know why she is here breaking her own heart trying to convince Arthit.

"How do you know that?" Arthit looked Davika in the eyes.

"Arthit, I've known Kongpob since college. He has never made an effort to chase anyone. People always chased after him. Even Mild was the one who approached him. When he told me he was going to Tokyo for you, I knew at that moment he was already in love with you."

Arthit looked down at his hands, "he hasn't said it to me."

"But do you feel it? Ask yourself honestly. You just need to give him some time. He hasn't been in love for so long. Maybe he hasn't realized it, or maybe he is just too afraid.

He may not have committed suicide for Mild, but he was extremely hurt. Mild left him at the worst of times in his life. She left him when his father had just passed away, and his family's business was struggling. He felt abandoned, lost, and betrayed. He was literally broken. It took many years for Kongpob to become what he is today.

Look, I can't convince you to love him if you don't, but I can tell you that he already loves you." Davika thinks she has said enough. There's only so much her heart can take.

"I do love him." Arthit said looking up to meet Davika's eyes.

Davika takes a deep breath. "I'm sure Kongpob is fine. He will be back when he is ready. What we should worry about is why Mild is suddenly back? After all these years, nothing good can come of it. I wish I had gone to the auction ball now. I would have liked to slap her. Let me tell you, she borrowed my book from the library before she disappeared, and never returned it. I was a poor student paying everything on my own. It cost me my whole month's pocket money from modeling to pay for that book and the fees. Do you know what living on instant noodles for a month does to your body? I was so bloated." Davika said crossing her arms.

Arthit chuckled a little. Suddenly, he felt better. Davika seemed back to her normal self. He can see how Kongpob and Davika are such close friends now.

"Maybe she wants him back. And maybe Kongpob still loves her too." Arthit says looking down, running his clammy palms up and down his thighs.

"No, he doesn't. If he did, he wouldn't have gone after you. And if Mild thinks she can just waltz back into Kongpob's life, then she has got something else coming. Arthit, don't give up so easily." Davika huffed.

Arthit nodded. He won't give up on Kongpob unless he tells him to.

"Kongpob is mine now. I won't let her just take him from me." Arthit found himself saying.

"That's more like it. Now, just tell her that when you see her. Better yet, call me. I want to give her a piece of my mind too." Davika smiled at Arthit.

~~~~~~

Kongpob got back up, and just kept walking ahead. He crossed a bridge, and eventually reached the marketplace that he had been to with Arthit. That was a fun first for him. A little smile made its way to his face. He walked into the market sticking out like a sore thumb. He was way over dressed in his Saint Laurent tuxedo, and was drawing a lot of attention. Many curious onlookers whispered while not so discreetly pointed at him as they talked and giggled. Kongpob noticed that many of the fresh produce stands were already closed, and only those selling snacks and cooked food was still open. He didn't have anything particular in mind to buy, but he just wanted to walk around. The damp floors of the market didn't bother him at all.

"Hey handsome, you're back! Are you looking for some fruits this evening? Or did you just suddenly miss little old me?" The flirty lady in her forties dressed in a purple top with huge floral prints said to him with a teasing wink.

Kongpob couldn't help but chuckle. "Yes, I'm back. How are you? Anything you recommend?"

"Now that's better. A smile makes you look even more handsome. The mangosteens are very fresh these past couple of days. It's in season. Try some."

"Sure. I'll take a dozen." Kongpob paid, and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered the mango puddings he shared with Arthit. He turned back around to go buy some.

"Excuse me, but do you have any of those mango puddings available?" Kongpob asked hopefully.

"Handsome, I've already put two in your bag, and those were the last two." The lady smiled pointing at Kongpob's bag.

Kongpob opened his bag, and saw the two cups of mango puddings. Kongpob smiled brightly. "Thanks. Let me pay for these." He took out his wallet.

The lady pushed his hands and wallet away. "Don't worry about it. I'm done for the day. I make my puddings fresh every morning. So, I won't be keeping them anyway. If they can make you happy for even a minute, then it's already worth it. Share it with the other Mr. Handsome."

"You're too kind. Thank you. And you are right, you do have the best mango pudding. By the way, I'm Kongpob."

"I'm Yui. People here call me Mae Yui." The lady said.

"Thank you Mae Yui. I will come again for your mango puddings." Kongpob smiled, and bid farewell.

With the bag of fruits and puddings in his hand, he suddenly wanted to see someone badly.