[T/N] I apologize for grammar mistakes and incoherencies
Chapter 41: Flashback 1; Belt Buckle
“Take off your belt buckle and give it to me right now, you bland face. If you don't want to get beaten up.”
The threatening voice was not far from him. Today, he wanted to try taking the public bus home by himself, so he escaped from his family’s driver at school alone. But he never thought that this single decision off the beaten path would lead to an experience he would remember until the day he dies.
Pai, who was in his high school uniform, reached down with trembling hands to unbuckle his belt. He had never thought before that he would encounter such hooligans on the bus. He finally managed to unbuckle it and handed it over to the student from another school who was intimidating him not far away, without resistance, eager to give it away so he could leave quickly.
“Take off your shirt too, I want your school shirt as a souvenir.”
Pai bowed his head in silence with his heart sinking to his ankles. How could he dare to take off his shirt for him? If he complied, it would be like being publicly humiliated. Even though this wasn't far from his home, he wasn't brave enough to walk shirtless through the market, feeling nothing.
“Hey, are you defying me? I told you to take off the shirt!”
The voice shouted menacingly. He could only bow his head in despair, feeling tears at the corners of his eyes from both fear and frustration. Forget about standing up to fight this bully; he didn't even have the courage to look him in the eye.
“I'll say this one more time, take off your shirt. Or else, you'll get your ass kicked.”
The bully used a threatening tone again, standing up to loom over him now sitting in the back left seat of the bus, blocking all his escape routes. He could only bow his head, feeling helpless, wanting to reach for his phone to call his driver who might be looking for him around here, but he knew it would be too late. Plus, if he took it out, it might get extorted from him too.
Pai sat there, head bowed, feeling utterly defenseless and unwilling to fight.
Since birth, he had never been in a fight. He was a good student, favored by teachers, and after school, a driver was always there to take him home. Never once had he been in such a dire and dangerous situation, but who would believe it? Now he was in exactly that situation, with almost no way to escape.
“You buncha cowards are only good at picking on the defenseless.”
A voice floated from the other side of the bus, a voice influential enough to make the bully in front of him pause and turn his attention away from him. Pai peeked up slightly and saw dimly that it was another student wearing the same blue trousers as him. Pai almost cried out again in relief; someone was here to help him out of this crazy situation.
“What do you mean by that?” The bully in front of him turned to shout and approached the speaker, looking for trouble.
“I mean, thugs like you are all talk, always picking on the weaker ones. When you meet someone real, you cower. Around my place, we call your types mangy-wet dogs. They bark loudly, but as soon as they get wet, they yelp like stupid puppies, hahaha!”
The voice of the newcomer fully ignited the thug's anger, no doubt about it. He grabbed a knife, held it in his hand, and lunged forward, intent on attacking the person who came to help. When he looked up, his face turned pale. He should've just given up his shirt from the start; then no one else would have to suffer because of him like this.
Clanggggggggg!
Ouchhhhhhhhh!
Pai widened his eyes, almost not believing what he saw. The person who came to help him dealt with the thug easily. A muscular hand reached out, grabbed the thug's wrist, and twisted it swiftly even as the knife was coming towards him. The result was the knife quickly flying out of the thug's hand, clattering loudly against the metal near the driver's seat. The thug screamed in pain as his arm was twisted out of shape.
The white knight who saved him turned slightly when he saw the bus had stopped at the station, and with his finger, he pointed at Pai, then towards the door. Pai, not even daring to look his savior in the face, nodded vigorously, understanding the gesture, and hurried off to the bus as fast as he could. Just as he was about to turn and thank his helper, the man had already turned back to deal with the thug, who was now trying to use his other hand to strike in rage.
Pai couldn't do much more than remember that scene vividly.
The person in front of him wore the same school uniform as him, with three five-pointed stars on the collar, indicating he was also in the Grade 6 of secondary school. The name “Ittikorn” was embroidered on his chest. Pai had just transferred to this school this year, having previously studied abroad. He needed to quickly pass equivalency exams and continue his education here in the Grade 6, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to enter medical school through regular university admissions.
Pai memorized the face of his savior, intending to thank him properly the next time they met.
Finding him shouldn't be hard; the person who helped him was notably good-looking, with fair skin and dark eyebrows. Although somewhat tanned, he was still fairer than most. He had a tall, athletic build, so much so that without the school uniform, one might think he was already in university due to his impressive physique.
Pai stepped off the bus, locking eyes with that person for less than a fraction of a second.
The last image he saw before stepping down was of that person still busy dealing with the thug who had taken his headband and belt, even though there was no need to help him. But his schoolmate did not ignore the situation. Pai reached his left hand to his chest, still in shock, his heart beating uncontrollably fast, almost as if it was going to stop. Just a crazy desire to try taking the bus home on the first day of school nearly gave him a scar to take home.
If it weren't for that white knight...
“Young Master!”
Before the cursed bus could move away after he got off, his driver's voice called out anxiously, not far from where he was. Pai could only sigh deeply; it seemed he was in for a scolding when he got home today. The driver finding him like this meant the story would reach his parents, and they must have used the “Find My Phone” App to track him down.
Besides almost getting beaten up, it looked like he would get an earful when he got back. And riding the local bus here wasn't fun at all.
Today was just full of bad luck, except for one thing. Well...
Pai nodded reluctantly and followed his driver to the familiar luxury van. The young man sat quietly, watching the scenery outside the window. No words escaped his lips except for his thoughts revisiting the day's events.
He admitted it was a terribly bad day, but it was also filled with special and memorable moments.
…
Ringgggggggg!
The bell signaling the end of class rang out. Pai looked up at the bell installed in the room with a bored expression. Why couldn't the school have a gentler way to tell time that was less harsh on the ears? The math teacher left the room as the biology teacher entered.
“Today, I'll announce the scores from the knowledge review test from grades 10 to 11 that I gave you yesterday. Anyone who didn't score at least half needs to go back and review. Within this term, there will be ongoing university entrance exams. I'm sure leaving your knowledge in this state isn't good.” The teacher announced at the front of the room, then began to call out student numbers along with their scores.
“Number 5, got 22 points.”
Most of his classmates scored around this out of a full score of 30, which was significantly lower than he had initially expected. Pai sat with his hand on his chin, waiting boredly. Being the new kid, he got the last number in the class, which was number 30. It would be a while before it was his turn.
“Number 18, scored 29 points.”
A murmur rose in the previously silent room. Following the gaze of most, he knew who the scorer was—a fair-skinned, bright-faced boy on the right side of the room was now the center of attention. This person must be good at studying; if he remembered correctly, his name was Waen or something like that.
“Number 28, scored 18 points.”
“Number 29, scored 24 points.”
“And number 30, scored 30 points.”
A groan of surprise filled the room again, this time a bit louder than before, and now they were staring at him. Pai could only manage a wry smile, unsure of how to react. Firstly, he thought the exam was very easy. Secondly, he didn't expect others to score so low that he would stand out like this.
After the roll call, the classroom returned to silence. The teacher began the first lesson for Grade 6 on the second day of the school year. Pai sat at the very back, alone in his row, which he liked because it was quiet and hassle-free. He rested his chin on his hand, listening to the teacher drone on, letting the words go in one ear and out the other. He already knew everything being taught and saw no need to take notes since it was all already in his head.
Truthfully, he wanted to lie down and sleep on the desk, but he didn't want to draw more attention to himself. So, he just sat quietly, staring at the board, letting his mind wander far away.
But strangely, his mind drifted to a place he thought it shouldn't go at all.
“Hello.”
A greeting came from in front of him. He looked up to find the source of the voice. It was Waen, the one who had scored nearly perfect. He had walked over to greet him while everyone else was heading down for lunch.
“Hello.” Pai replied simply.
“You're really good, getting a perfect score.” The other boy complimented.
“Not really. Just lucky.” Pai responded, though internally he thought the opposite.
“Are you interested in joining the school's academic club? The academic club here is intense, and we often compete to win awards for the school. You could really put your abilities to full use.”
“Huh.” Pai responded with a bored tone. It sounded interesting, but he was quite lazy about participating in activities.
“Anyway, why don't you come and hear the club details today? If you don't like it, no problem.”
“Hmm, thanks a lot. I'll think about it, see you this evening in the meeting room, right?”
Pai agreed, although he had already intended to go to this event. At his school, students had to accumulate activity hours, and just attending the club presentations could earn him two hours with almost no effort at all, which was quite a deal.
“See you then. Oh, by the way, my name is Wan. Nice to meet you.”
Oh, so his name is Wan? He had remembered it as Waen for so long. Good thing he didn't call him by the wrong name, that would have been embarrassing.
Chapter 42: Flashback 2; Defense
“10 points!”
The PE teacher and the school's special sports coach shouted loudly as he beautifully shot the last basketball into the hoop. Itt turned and smiled at the group who had announced those scores. He had secured a full 10 points in the final sports test. That meant he was the only one in the school to score full marks in every category of physical ability and sports proficiency.
The position of president of the sports club, or Knight Club, was definitely his.
Itt was at the Big Day event, or the full name, the Annual Club Assembly.
At this event, every student in the school had to join their respective clubs to plan activities for the entire academic year. The importance of this event was the selection of club presidents. Each club would open applications for the president position, and candidates would be selected through a competitive process, with the winner announced today.
All clubs were to choose their presidents today. Those who could apply for the president position had to be in their final year of high school, and once elected, they had to take responsibility until they graduated. The sports club selected its president by allowing competitors to choose three sports they excelled in, and the club advisor would test their proficiency in those sports. He chose archery, soccer, and basketball. Itt was the only one in the school to score full marks in all three sports, so the position of club president was his without any doubt.
“Damn, that was harsh, a clean three-pointer just now!”
The voice called out with a slap on his shoulder; it was Pure, his close friend, who was also a contender in the competition, but he hadn't scored well in the final sport.
“Yeah, fluke, man. Got a full score, I'll be the coach's favorite this time for sure.”
He spoke in good spirits, then bent down to casually pack his things into his bag. Pure had come over after showering and changing.
“So, where are you off to next?” Pure asked.
“Thought I'd go see Paeng for a bit.” He replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Damn, so sweet, you just started dating, right? You're like Wi-Fi, connecting fast.”
“Wi-Fi my ass, I'm just going to have dinner with her. I'm not like you, Pure, scattering your sperms everywhere.” He argued back, shaking his head.
“Where did you arrange to meet her?”
“At the ice cream shop in front of her school. Her dad's strict, she can't go far.”
Paeng, a 5th grader from an all-girls school, was his new girlfriend. She was probably waiting for him at the shop now. He had arranged to meet her at six in the evening, but she always arrived early.
“Yeah, yeah. Good luck, man. With a young girlfriend, don't forget to check your health, dude.”
“Screw you.”
…
“I would like to defend!”
A smooth but stern voice came through the auditorium speakers from the third floor of his school. Itt, who was about to leave the school, could only turn to look at the auditorium. Of course, he saw nothing but the solid walls; the sound came from the speakers along with cheering from inside the hall. He had no way of knowing what was happening unless he walked back in.
That voice could only be from the selection of the academic club president or Bishop, Castle, the rival club that seemed to be the most worthy opponent to his sports club. That smooth voice likely belonged to one of the candidates participating in the selection at that moment.
Something, which he couldn't quite define, urged him to turn back and head towards the auditorium to watch the competition of the academic club, which was like bitter medicine to him. He really hated studying.
“I'd like to respond that gastritis isn't caused by microorganisms. The condition arises from stress and anti-inflammatory drugs.” A voice declared as he stepped into the auditorium packed with people. By now, the selection for other club presidents must have concluded. Everyone from the school had gathered in the auditorium to watch the remaining academic club competition, the last one of the day. Itt recognized the voice answering the question; it was Wan. He knew him well; Wan was the top student in King's class and a likely candidate for this year's academic club president.
Itt looked up curiously, searching for the owner of the stern voice he had just heard. He was sure that the firm voice wasn't Wan's. He remembered Wan’s voice well, so who was this person whose voice he didn't recognize? Scanning the other side of the stage, he found his answer. The other contestant was not someone he knew, probably a new student in King's class. Being from the lowest-ranked science class, Itt didn't recognize the faces of the top students well, but he knew that the owner of the voice that led him here had an incredibly arrogant look. That bespectacled, stuck-up kid on the other side of the stage wore an expression of indifference and coldness, as if no one there could capture his attention anymore.
“I'd like to defend.”
The flat voice came from the person Itt was inwardly criticizing. As soon as he finished speaking, whispers erupted throughout the auditorium. Itt could only watch that expressionless face with curiosity, wondering what he could possibly contest in Wan's answer. Wan was the school's number one student, after all.
“I argue that gastritis can indeed be caused by microorganisms. Dr. Barry Marshall and his colleague studied and found that gastrointestinal ulcers can be caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, for which they won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 2005. Therefore, I defend that the previous answerer is not entirely true.”
The pale-faced guy answered with an utterly calm expression, as if looking down from an ivory tower. His response stirred the auditorium once again. Itt decided to turn around and leave the auditorium, losing interest. The academic club was still the same, full of knowledge-obsessed people. Plus, that new kid's arrogance was incredibly irritating.
“Phii Itt!”
A sweet but slightly annoyed voice snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to look at his girlfriend with a slight start, wondering how long he had let her talk alone.
“Yes, Paeng?”
He spoke softly, flashing a wide smile, trying to charm her before she got more annoyed. Paeng, when she was upset, could be unreasonably so, in a way that was almost legendary. They were sitting at the ice cream shop in front of Paeng's school, enjoying some sweet treats. He quickly scooped up some ice cream to feed her, trying to appease her before she sulked. The table next to them whispered a bit, glancing their way, but he didn't mind. They are a couple now.
“Where are you looking at that girl, I saw you!” The other person said with an accusatory tone.
“Not at all, Paeng. Since I've been with you, I don't have any eyes left to look at any other girl.” Itt replied flatteringly. Truthfully, he wasn't lying, because the one who had captured all his attention just now wasn't just anyone, but that bland-faced guy who was likely to become the president of the academic club, and he wasn't even a girl.
“If I catch you, you'll see.”
The image of the bespectacled young man sitting in a luxurious van was drawing his attention.
That new kid, whose name he didn't even know, was sitting in an expensive van. Just by looking at it from this distance, he could tell the model and brand without even seeing the logo; it was a high-end Japanese van worth millions. Just from this, it was clear that this bland-faced guy was a 'Young Master' without needing to investigate.
It seemed like he was ordering his driver to fetch something from the store.
The driver opened the door, got out, disappeared for a moment, then returned to the van, but before they could drive off, the driver got out again, soon returning with another bag of something similar to what he had before. This time, instead of going back to the driver's seat, he went to the passenger side where the bland-faced kid was sitting.
He rolled down the window, reached out to take the bag, and inspected it. Less than half a minute later, he handed it back and rolled up the window. The same driver ran back to the store again, bringing something back for another inspection. Itt watched the driver run back and forth three or four times, growing increasingly annoyed. His first impression, already low, plummeted further.
'If you had just gotten out of the car to buy it yourself from the start, it would've been over. Here you are, using others, you Young Master brats, never stepping in chicken shit, damn, it's annoying to watch.'
“Phii Itt, do you want to take some home too?”
His new girlfriend turned to ask, holding an ice cream cup in her hand. He shook his head to indicate he didn't want any. She then walked out of the store, with him silently following, carrying her school bag.
“Paeng, go wait for your dad at the cake shop, okay?”
His girlfriend said with a sweet smile. He handed her bag back, understanding. Although he was dating Paeng, she hadn't told her parents about him, so all he could do was chat or call. If they wanted to meet, they had to arrange it near Paeng's school, using the opportunity while waiting for her dad to pick her up to spend time together.
Itt walked to the bus stop after seeing that Paeng's father had picked her up. He sat there waiting for the bus for a long time; today, it seemed like the bus that goes by his house was especially late. But he wasn't in any hurry. Itt pulled out his old mobile phone to pass the time while waiting to go home. His phone's screen was cracked to the point where he could barely see the left side of the screen. He didn't want to change it; his family wasn't wealthy. Normally, when outside, he didn't turn on the internet because it was expensive. Paeng knew well that if there was anything urgent, she should call, because he wasn't always online.
Itt stood up when he saw the long-awaited bus approaching the stop.
The sky had darkened. If he had timed it, he would've seen he waited for the bus for about an hour. It would be quite late by the time he got home, but it didn't matter much since home wasn't exactly a place of great joy to return to.
Chapter 43: Flashback 3; Director Room.
Pai lay gazing at the dusty gown pendant in his hand with fascination.
It took him only a few days to find out that the person who saved him from the thugs on the bus that day was “Itt.” The hottest guy in school. How should one describe him? It's like every school has that one boy who's good-looking, great at sports, incredibly charming, and the object of affection for all the girls in school. Itt was exactly like that, someone always in the spotlight and a standout figure at school.
It was funny that Itt didn't remember him at all.
They once passed each other closely in the cafeteria. He was about to smile excitedly and thank him for that day, but Itt just walked past. Itt probably didn't have him in his memory even a little. He just stood there, feeling invisible, unsure of how to act. Forget Itt, no one would want to remember a plain, thick-glasses wearing, uncool kid like him.
Pai tapped on his luxury phone to look at the pictures of Itt he had saved.
If anyone saw this, they would think he was obsessed. He sat there, saving all of Itt's pictures from the school's web board onto his phone. From sports competition photos, candid shots taken by fans, pictures of him representing the sports club receiving awards on stage, to photos from last year's school annual event. Itt played a prince in a play, standing on stage as the handsome prince under the spotlight, which made him reflect deeply.
'So far away, really far...'
Pai rubbed the brown colored gown in his hands back and forth with a touch of sadness. When he picked up the mirror beside him to look at himself, he felt even more disheartened. A skinny, pale-faced boy with narrow eyes, how could he compare to the school's handsome prince? He took off his shirt and could only laugh with a sad tone. He couldn't even remember the last time he worked out; his chest was flat, his body lacked any muscle definition, and the image before him held no attraction whatsoever. Not just to other boys, but even through a girl's eyes, he probably wouldn't be interesting.
He rubbed his single-lidded eyes in frustration. Forget about moving forward; just standing here, he barely had any confidence. Pai didn't know if Itt could ever like him in his current state, but right now, at this moment, he felt unworthy even as an acquaintance. Seeing Itt's picture on his phone compared to his own reflection in the mirror made him feel even smaller.
…
“Pai.”
A voice from his friend beside him snapped him out of his daze. He had fallen asleep during the physics class on nuclear physics, which he had already finished reading back in Grade 4. The teacher at the front couldn't keep him engaged, and the only one who kept him from sleeping was Wan, who had just shaken his shoulder to wake him.
“What?”
“The director wants to see you in his office.” Wan said.
“Huh?”
He pointed at himself, confused, trying to gather his scant wits after waking up, wondering if he had done something wrong. But he was sure he hadn't; although he was rebellious, he didn't like breaking the rules much.
“They're calling for the president of the academic club.”
“Oh.”
He acknowledged, understanding now. Pai had recently taken this position from the person speaking to him, Wan, who was the sole favorite for the role. But after losing, Wan didn't seem angry. In fact, he had been very helpful, advising and assisting with club activities a lot. Without a vice president like him, Pai would have been lost.
“Must be something urgent.”
“When should I go, lunchtime?”
“Right now.”
Pai asked for permission to leave the classroom to meet the school director as instructed. Wan didn't come along because he said the director only called for the president. Pai didn't argue and left to meet him alone. He walked through the hallway of the science department. Truth be told, this school was good in every aspect: the social environment, the curriculum, the teachers' governance; the only issue was that the content they were learning seemed too easy for him. No, actually, it was far too easy.
“Excuse me,”
Pai said as he opened the door to the director's office, after knocking and being granted permission. Upon sliding the door open, he was met with someone he hadn't expected to see.
'Itt'
The owner of the brown colored gown currently hanging from his bag was already in the room. He didn't know the director would call both club presidents together. He tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible, not wanting to reveal how much the presence of the sports club president affected his heart rate.
“Please, have a seat.”
The school director gestured towards another chair next to where Itt was sitting. Pai sat down as instructed, trying not to glance sideways at Itt too often, though he found himself doing so repeatedly. He had never been this close to Itt for more than a minute before.
“You two probably know each other already.” The director began.
Pai nodded in acknowledgment. He knew Itt; who wouldn't know the school's prince? Meanwhile, Itt turned to look at him with an impassive face before nodding to the director. Pai thought he wasn't imagining it; there was a clear sense of unfriendliness in those eyes. Great, not only did they not start off well, but they were also in the negative.
“The academic club and the sports club are very important to our school. Last year, our school won a gold medal in the international youth sports event thanks to the sports club. And the year before that, we won a gold medal in the Biology Olympiad from the academic club.” The director continued.
“Of course, our school has always supported both clubs as much as our resources allow, in line with your needs, like with the club rooms. Out of the 12 clubs, only two have their own dedicated rooms.”
“Yes, sir.” Itt responded while the director spoke, and Pai couldn't help but listen to his voice with excitement.
“But by the end of next month, the school will have to accept exchange students from Canada. We need to have a dedicated room for these exchange students because our curriculum isn't 100% the same as theirs.”
“Yes.” He responded, starting to guess something.
“The teacher needs to request room 850 back to use for the exchange students. The school can only offer the room currently used by the club, which leaves only room 950. The teacher is giving you the right to decide among yourselves how to manage it.”
The announcement in front of them was like a thunderbolt striking right between where they were sitting. Not only had they not started their relationship on friendly terms, but the director's order at this time also seemed like a declaration of war between them.
Pai could only smirk at himself with nothing to say. The person in front of him, who already seemed not to like him, would now probably hate him completely. Competing for the club room was a significant matter for both clubs; there was no way this would change his status to anything other than an enemy in the eyes of the person in front of him.
'I shouldn't have been so eager to become the club president.'
“So, what will you do?”
The stern voice of the other person immediately spoke up as soon as the director's office door closed completely, and they were outside. That sharp face looked at him with no friendliness.
“Huh?”
“So, what are you going to do about the club room?” Itt continued, sounding quite displeased.
“What do you want to do then?”
He asked back, starting to feel annoyed. Although he was quite fond of the person in front of him, being annoyed and picking a fight first like this wasn't fun for him either.
“Then just give room 950 to the sports club. The academic club can just read books; we can read in the library.”
The person in front of him probably thought he wasn't much for arguing, so he made a proposal that clearly sounded like picking a fight. Even though the eyes of the person in front of him were quite captivating, he couldn't easily admit defeat.
“Oh. If you say it like that, then the sports club should just go play sports at the sports field. Why use the club room?” Pai argued back, not willing to give in. Although his heart was shaking a bit, this wasn't something to just submit to.
“So, what will you do?”
“Share the use, odd and even days.”
Pai suggested, though in truth, he didn't even know what the academic club used the club room for, but if he easily gave up the room to the sports club, where would he put his face as the president, bishop, cattle, Pai?
“No.”
The eyebrows of the person in front of him raised in defiance, the eyes were beautiful, the lips well-shaped, the chin was there, slender, his gaze found it hard to stray from the one who had just rejected him, his hand slid to adjust his glasses, feeling frustrated. He was facing the prince of the school, while he was just a thick-glasses nerd.
“So what will you do?” Pai, holding his breath, argued back with the words Itt had just spoken.
“Let's compete.” Itt's voice rose.
“How?”
“The club that brings more fame to the school gets the club room. The club that does less, has to move out.” Said the sharp-faced owner with a firm voice.
“And how can you measure something like this? It can't be quantified.” Pai argued.
“Within these 3 months, whichever club's members get their achievements displayed on the vinyl banner at the school's entrance more often, that club wins.” Itt said.
The bespectacled owner slid his clean hand to rub a dusty gown-shaped pendant hanging on his student pocket, resigned. It seemed like, aside from not being considered a friend by Wan, he was now also seen as a rival by this person in front of him. Pai rubbed the pendant back and forth as if seeking power from a wish only he knew.
“Agreed.”
Chapter 44: Flashback 4:Saturday afternoon
For the past 2 months, the sports club had performed exceptionally well.
He represented the country in an archery competition at an international youth sports event, and importantly, he won a gold medal right from the first 3 weeks of contesting for the club room. In truth, he knew from the start he would be traveling to compete as a national team representative. And regardless of what medal he got, the school would likely make a banner for him anyway, because at the very least, he was a representative of the country. So, the competition between the sports club and the academic club was something he was confident about winning for sure.
What they predicted wrong was, “That Pai guy”.
Normally, for a school to allow a banner space for students, it has to be for achievements at the national level. Sports clubs that have the chance to send students to compete as national youth representatives naturally have an advantage. On the other hand, academic clubs mostly organize events like academic weeks, open houses, or quiz competitions, which, no matter how you look at it, have very little chance of achieving national recognition.
But that bland-faced guy did it.
The academic club president ended up representing the country in the Academic Olympics for Chemistry and brought back a gold medal. He didn't think there would be any sending of student representatives for such academic competitions, so it was like hitting the jackpot because Itt brought back a gold medal, and the school had to make a banner for him too.
Normally, the school would take down the old banner and replace it with the new one's achievement, but luckily this year, both achievements were outstanding and received awards around the same time, so the school didn't want to take down either one. The principal ordered us to make two banners side by side, so now, it seems like he's in a good position, because if both banners go up like this, he should be the winner.
“Today's the day,”
Itt said when he saw his rival walking towards room 950, which they were competing for. The principal had asked for another room after breaking the news to them, so they had to follow the proposal to alternate the use of the club room on odd and even days while they competed to determine the winner.
“I know. Just forgot something, I am coming to get it.”
Pai replied without even glancing at him, which only annoyed him further. He really disliked people like this bland-faced guy; arrogant, speaking sparingly as if he was in a different class from him.
“Today is an even day. You're not allowed in.”
He deliberately provoked the person in front of him. He wanted to see how long the other would avoid his gaze. Since the competition began, this nerd had hardly looked him in the eye, making him feel like he was some kind of disease to be avoided, which irritated him even more. The more the other avoided him, the more he wanted to pick a fight.
“...”
The leg that was about to step into the club room of the person in front of him halted. He knew well that he had acted incredibly foolishly and had picked a fight with the other party, but still, he didn't like being treated like he was invisible like this.
“But if you ask nicely, I might let you in as a special case.”
Itt deliberately spoke with an especially taunting tone. He still remembered that stubborn nose, and those narrow eyes that looked at him provocatively; the other party had no right to ignore him like this.
“Then come get it tomorrow.”
The person in front turned away without even making eye contact with him. Once again, he was overlooked, which made him even more annoyed. Did he think being rich meant he could treat anyone like this?
Itt walked out of the school with irritation.
He tried to shake off the bland face from his thoughts, but it didn't work much. The first memory he had was of the other person making the driver run back and forth to the store multiple times, which annoyed him. Even with a lot of money to hire anyone, there was no right to treat someone younger like this. Young Masters like him should be taught a lesson, at least once, so they'd know they can't do this to everyone.
“What's up, Coach?”
He picked up his phone while walking towards the bus stop. The sports coach, responsible for sending students to competitions outside the school, was calling. Itt quickly answered with his old phone.
“I've talked about the class times.”
The conversation started on the other end. The class times referred to the times he took off to compete in sports, as a youth. He had been absent for nearly a month, which wasn't enough time to qualify for the end-of-term exams. The coach, who also served as the school's PE teacher, had volunteered to negotiate with the education department.
“How did it go?” He asked casually, expecting no issues since he took time off to bring fame to the school.
“Everyone's okay with it, except, uh...” The other end hesitated.
“Except?” Itt repeated, puzzled.
“Except for Teacher Wilaiwan, who didn't agree.” The voice on the phone answered, somewhat reluctantly.
“What? I took time off to bring fame to the school.” He said, starting to get annoyed.
“The teacher understands, but Teacher Wilaiwan didn't say you couldn't take the exam or advance to the next grade.”
“And why did the coach say that the teacher wouldn't agree?” He asked, puzzled.
“They said you still have to take remedial classes.”
“Remedial classes!”
He complained with a world-weary tone. Just attending regular classes was already something he didn't want to do. Now, he had to take remedial classes too. He went to compete alone at school, which meant he'd have to study alone. Just the thought felt like descending into hell.
“The principal tried to speak on your behalf, but Teacher Wailan is the head of the education department, so she has the final say. The principal then asked if instead of remedial classes, you could do some other educational activity.” The person on the other end of the line quickly continued as he started to get upset.
“That's a bit better.”
“The principal suggested that students who missed classes should study together, so the kids wouldn't feel awkward studying one-on-one with a teacher. The meeting agreed, and Teacher Wailan consented. So, it was decided that those who missed classes would have to attend study sessions at school for the number of hours equivalent to the remedial classes needed, which is only for Teacher Wailan's class.”
“...”
He wanted to curse out loud but kept it to himself, feeling bad for the person on the line who had to mediate his problem. The coach had already helped him a lot.
“Teacher Wailan's physics class is 5 hours a week. Students who missed a month have to make up 20 hours. So, the principal scheduled these sessions for Saturday afternoons, 4 hours each time, for 5 times. If you attend all, you can take the final exam as usual.”
“Okay.” He said, too lazy to argue. Arguing wouldn't change anything anyway.
“I'm sorry Itt, this is the best I could do.” The voice on the phone apologized.
“It's okay, studying might be good. I might get good grades.” He replied, though his words didn't quite match his thoughts, out of consideration for the coach who probably argued a lot on his behalf in the meeting.
“By the way, how many students are there in total who need to take these remedial classes, and who are they? So I can coordinate the timing correctly.” He continued.
“Right now, there are only 2 people.”
“Oh.”
“Most of them miss school by days, even exceeding 80% of class time. No need to make up for it. As for Itt who's been absent, he's already got other commitments. When he goes missing for long periods, there's not enough time, so only those who take a month off need to come in. There's Itt who went to a youth sports competition and another kid from the academic club. It seems like they're going to some international academic competition. The teacher can't quite remember the name, just knows they're from the academic club.
'Hey, Pai…’
He hung up the phone with the coach once he got the rough information.
In summary, he has to tutor that bland-faced guy for 5 weeks so he has enough study time to take the end-of-term exams. At first, he was annoyed, but then he found it amusing.
'Let's see how haughty he can be when it's just the two of us.'
Itt laughed smugly in his throat, realizing that even boring things can have fun hidden within, at least he'll get to provoke that always grumpy-faced guy all the time. He can hardly wait for Saturday to come.
'Wait a minute, this Saturday he has an appointment with Paeng.'
He immediately picked up his mobile phone to call his girlfriend as soon as he remembered. No matter how important the make-up classes are, he wasn't sure if Paeng would understand.
“I'm really sorry, Paeng, I just found out, I didn't mean to stand you up.” He intentionally used a sweet, conciliatory tone to prevent her from being upset, but he wasn't sure how effective it would be.
“But I had an appointment with you, Phii Itt for a long time.” The other end replied in a flat tone; he guessed right, Miss Paeng was definitely upset.
“Paeng, I really didn't mean it, can I reschedule for Sunday? I'm really not available on Saturday.”
He explained the whole situation about make-up tutoring. Not sure if Paeng would understand.
“Okay, Phii Itt, we can move it to Sunday.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Paeng, you're the best girlfriend ever.” He replied with relief.
“But on Saturday, I will also go study with you Phii Itt.” The other end continued.
“Uh...”
“Phii Itt, you really are hiding a girl.” Miss Paeng said, sounding suspicious.
“Oh, where is another woman, Paeng? I only have you, Miss Paeng.”
“I don't know. If it's just for tutoring, why can't Miss I come along? Or did you secretly arrange to meet someone else? Train wreck.” The person on the other end spoke suspiciously.
“There isn't anyone, Paeng. You can come, I don't mind, but it'll be boring. I'm just going to read.”
“I don't know, I will go. Phii Itt, pick me up in front of the school and take me into your school too.”
Chapter 45: Flashback 5, The Depths of the Cosmos
“I told you, didn't I, that studying is boring to death? I told you to just stay home, but you wouldn't listen. Look, your eyes are about to close.”
The owner of the brown color on his gown-shaped pendant spoke with a sweet, intimate tone. Itt's hand reached out, stroking the head of the other woman, clearly in the throes of a romantic relationship.
Miss Paeng was incredibly beautiful, so much so that he felt ashamed. Her large, round eyes complemented her thick, layered lashes, an oval face, round cheeks that went well with her naturally high-bridged nose, small, slender lips shaped like a bow, fair skin, and naturally rosy cheeks appropriate for her age. When all these features came together, she truly looked like a princess worthy of the school's prince, Itt.
Seeing what Itt like compared to what he was made him feel even more defeated. He tried not to look at the scene in front of him; Pai confessed from his heart that he pitied his own feelings.
Pai perceived the scene in front of him painfully.
Ever since he admitted to himself that he liked the school prince sitting across the table, he had to accept that it wasn't easy. No, it was better to say it was impossible.
First, Itt liked women.
Second, Itt already had a girlfriend.
And third, Itt hated his guts.
Since learning Itt had a girlfriend, he had always avoided knowing any information about that woman.
He knew he still couldn't handle disappointment well. Being disappointed even before starting was ironically funny, but now, nothing was more ironically amusing than having to sit and watch the person he liked happily playing around with their partner.
He felt like he was sinking into an ocean too deep to fathom.
The memory of the day Itt saved him from bullies on the bus was still vivid. It was unbelievable how that event could imprint so many feelings in him. Pai gently touched the dusty gown on the bag under the table. He intended not to move forward, not to acknowledge anything anymore. But fate was not on his side at all.
“After tutoring, Phii Itt, you have to take me for ice cream as compensation, okay? I am getting really bored.”
Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he saw the small girl pouting at Itt playfully. Itt reached out to pinch her chubby cheek with a playful grin. Truthfully, he should have put on his headphones and read quietly, but in the end, he couldn't do it. Even though it hurt, he couldn't deny he still wanted to know about the person in front of him.
“Sure, the usual place, right? Your favorite rainbow ice cream. After we finish tutoring, I'll take you there.”
Pai sat looking at his book but secretly listened to the sweet conversation between the two quietly. To call it tutoring wasn't quite right, because since they entered this reading room in the library, they hadn't spoken a word to each other. Not even a glance.
Pai returned home with a heavy heart.
The truth was, he never thought he would like Itt this much. At first, when he realized he started liking him, he just hoped it would be a simple crush on a good-looking schoolmate. He didn't hope to talk, to get to know him, or to develop any relationship. Just wanted it to be like a fun, puppy love. But, it seemed his feelings did not go according to plan.
He picked up the brown gown pendant, reminiscing.
Pai's family were all doctors; his father was a doctor, his mother was a doctor. They also ran a hospital business under the family name. His life was almost predetermined to be a doctor from birth. Even though his parents never forced him, he knew it was his duty to take on.
He had ordered a pendant shaped like a brown gown, because while one thing was something he couldn't choose, the other was something he chose himself.
He chose not to be a doctor, perhaps due to the responsibilities weighing him down, but at least in matters of the heart, he wanted to have the right to decide for himself once.
Itt represents the brown color, Itt represents the path he chose himself. At least once, he dared to admit whom he liked. He intended to like Itt quietly; he wanted to keep this feeling as a cherished memory, but he never thought obtaining such a memory would be this painful.
“Damn it.”
He cursed as he felt something wet seeping at the corner of his eyes. Pai pulled the blanket over his face before letting out a sob he could no longer contain.
His dreams had all collapsed.
He hated the truth that he was not someone Itt could ever like. He hated himself for being born, for being a man who likes another man. He hated knowing he couldn't change himself, just as he knew he couldn't change Itt either.
Pai let out a defeated sob.
The tears that wouldn't stop flowing down his cheeks were his reluctant acceptance that his expectations were breaking his heart. It hurt as if an invisible hand was holding a knife, slicing his flesh into pieces.
It was tight in his chest, painful, and torturous.
His hand gripped the brown gown tightly, what once was his motivation to go to school, but today, the coldness of the metal only brought pain. He utterly despised himself for taking this foolish feeling seriously enough to cry, even though he should have just liked Itt playfully. He should have been nothing, should have moved on easily.
He turned off the lights in his bedroom until it was completely dark.
No light. No sound at all, except for his crying, which seemed to come directly from his heart. Pai tried to wipe away the ceaseless tears, but no matter how long, it seemed endless.
The image of Itt with his girlfriend kept haunting him.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrating it was, wondering why he was so hurt by this. But honestly, he no longer wanted to run from this feeling. He had been trying to deceive himself for almost a month, telling himself he was fine, that he just had a light crush on Itt, and now that he knew Itt had a girlfriend, he just needed to let go.
But in truth, he was “damn” Hurt.
He let his tears flow as much as they wanted to. He had been immersed in this feeling for too long. He didn't know what to wait for anymore. He just wanted to move past it; at least, one day, he would be able to look Itt in the face normally again.
It's funny how his first love ended in complete ruin.
He didn't know who to blame between Itt, who came to help him on that day, or himself for being so impressed by that moment that he easily remembered it, or perhaps he should blame fate for meticulously crafting him into something that could never have a happy ending.
Pai reached out to touch the cold, brown taste of that metal once again.
He admitted that he really liked Itt, and the pain he experienced was more than he had ever imagined.
But he accepted the truth now. And he chose to give up on this reality that stood as a wall in front of him; a relationship between him and Itt was never going to be possible.
He will suffer tonight for the last time.
This impossible path told him he should turn back. At least, he could confirm with certainty before he chose to walk away, that this path was truly a dead end.
Pai fell asleep in the silence.
He promised that tonight would be the last night he would cry over this love.
He promised to lock this love away in a drawer and become a new person. He promised to concede in this game he could never win.
As if sinking into an endless abyss,
He felt like a dying man clawing for air but finding none; it was suffocating, torturous, and a state hard to overcome.
He felt like he was using both arms to desperately grasp for something to hold onto in an endless void, but his hands only found emptiness.
Slowly, he sank.
Sank down.
Sinking into the cold, dark abyss
The boy entered his slumber with pain
Tears stained across his face
And the dusty lab coat pendant squeezed until marks appeared on his hand
The rainstorm might bring brightness after it ends
But on the other hand
It might also bring dread and fear of the rain
After that day
Pai never ran in the rain again
Even though the rain was once something he desired and dreamed of