(Still around 1 pm at Ely Mall.)
( Inside the mall, the atmosphere was lively, with shoppers bustling about and the sounds of food courts filling the air.)
....As Nat continued to follow Siri, his eyes fixed on her as she navigated the crowded mall corridors. He was desperate for answers, answers to the questions that had been gnawing at him .
What did she really think of Thakorn? Did she see him as more than just a friendly acquaintance? And what did she think of him, Nat? He longed to know, but he didn't dare ask. He wasn't brave enough to confront her, to pry into her thoughts and feelings. Instead, all he could do was patiently wait and watch her from afar, trying to read between the lines.
As they continue to walk around the mall,Siri stopped at a small snack store, and Nat watched with interest as she browsed through the colorful displays. She picked up a few bags of chips and a box of pastries, her eyes scanning the shelves with a hint of deliberation. Nat stood patiently, watching her from afar, as she made her selections and headed to the checkout counter. The cashier rang up her purchases, and Siri smiled politely as she handed over her payment.
With her snacks in hand, Siri continued on her way, and Nat followed at a distance. They walked past several stores, the sounds of the mall filling the air, before Siri stopped in front of a small bookstore she frequently visited. She browsed through the shelves, her fingers tracing the spines of the books.
Nat watched, mesmerized, as she pulled out a book and began to flip through its pages. As she stood there, lost in thought, Nat crept closer, his heart pounding in his chest.
But before he could get any closer, Siri's eyes snapped up, her gaze locking onto something behind him,subconsciously Nat also turned his gaze , but there was no one there.
Siri's eyes narrowed, her gaze snapping back to Nat, For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension between them palpable. And then, in a movement that seemed almost imperceptible, Siri stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to face Nat, her eyes blazing with a fierce intensity, as if he had stumbled into something he couldn't understand.
Nat's heart skipped a beat as he realized he was now in trouble . He took a step back, his mind racing with excuses, but Siri didn't give him the chance. She took a step forward, her eyes locked onto his, and Nat could feel the air thickening with tension.
Just as suddenly, Siri's gaze shifted. She glanced over her shoulder, and a familiar male staff member approached her, holding out a branded bookstore bag. "Here's the item you requested, miss," the staff member said with a knowing smile, his eyes flicking to Nat with a hint of amusement. "Again, I see you're... accompanying her today?"
Nat's tone was uneven as he replied, "ohh no, just... just browsing."
The staff member chuckled softly. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then." As the staff member walked away, Siri took the branded bag from him with a nod of acknowledgement. The staff member's smile seemed to hold a secret, one that Nat couldn't quite decipher.
As Siri received the bag, her eyes flicked to Nat, their gazes met once again. But there was no spark of recognition, no hint of surprise. She simply looked at him, her expression unreadable, before turning and walking out of the bookstore.
Nat felt a pang of frustration as he realized she'd completely ignored him. Again. It was as if he was invisible. He watched as she walked out of the store, the branded bags dangling from her hand, and couldn't help but wonder what was going on. Why did the staff member always seem to know exactly what she wanted? And why was Siri ignoring him?
As Nat followed her, his mind swirled with questions. He tried to rationalize the situation, thinking that maybe Siri had requested the books and came to pick it up frequent customer, and the staff member knew her preferences since she was a frequent customer. But the feeling of being left out lingered, and Nat couldn't shake off the sense that he was missing something important.
The scene faded to black as Nat trailed behind Siri, the soft thud of her sneakers on the floor the only sound that broke the silence. Nat's thoughts swirled with questions, and his mind lingered on the look Siri had given him – a look that seemed to hold a thousand unspoken words, a look that left him wondering: What secrets was she hiding, and what would happen when the truth finally came to light?....