4 The Back Gate Guy

There was a crowd of girls in the middle of the hallway. Kenneth and the two boys wanted to use the other stairs to go to their classroom but suddenly remembered that the maintenance specifically put up a sign that restricts the students to use that stairs.

They had no other stairs to use except that one but they couldn't easily go through that crowd of girls who seemed to be fawning over something in the middle. Or perhaps someone. It wasn't so hard to see what's in the middle though because the guy was tall. And that guy, with a very pale complexion seemed to be the center of all this rowdiness.

Kenneth, even from afar, seemed to have noticed that guy having long lashes. He even noticed the cute partition of hair at his right side. He had a long but attractive nose and pinky lips, but not very girly lips. Kenneth almost smacked himself again, he's been out of it since morning. But he just couldn't break off his own stare.

Kenneth wasn't the type to notice these things of course but he couldn't help noticing especially when the very same guy he was observing seemed to draw in more people by just his gaze. Now, even the guys were looking. Maybe that's why so many people were looking at him, when all he was doing there was standing.

Kenneth noticed something other than his looks though. He felt shivers when he saw his eyes. It was cold and it felt like one glance directly into his eyes would make anyone kneel. It was cold but at the same time, empty.

The girls were obviously looking at the guy like some statue at the museum. Some of them were probably questioning why such a guy was standing in the middle of hallway.

Damien, although he was also distracted by such beauty, looked at his watch and was instantly shocked when he realized that there's only 10 minutes left before lunch ends and they haven't taken a single bite from either of their snacks and their lunch boxes. He cursed silently.

"Come on, 10 minutes left both of you." Leo felt his brows slightly twitch and immediately looked at his own phone's time. Damien's right.

Kenneth who recently just snapped, started walking towards the crowd together with both of his friends while cursing inside his head. He was so distracted by a stranger's appearance that he didn't even realize his already grumbling stomach. Although he wasn't actually bothered by his stomach grumbling but it affects his focus.

"Excuse us! Let us through please."

The three of them tried going through the crowd staring so much at the guy. Some of the girls turn their way to the guys pushing through so much just to get to the other side.

Of course, this also caught the attention of the beautiful guy. And, just when Kenneth was about to escape the crowd, the guy immediately called out to him and made him stop.

"Kenneth!" He abruptly stopped and faced the guy who called him. He could hear murmurs everywhere but he was so confused to be bothered by the girls' gossips.

Why did that guy know his name? Why did he make him stop in the middle of the hallway? What's going on right now? Why is he approaching Kenneth now?

Kenneth felt too flustered to move and just stood at where he is.

Kenneth, both of his friends and the people watching them in the hallway were all confused. And now Kenneth's already forming questions inside him that even he felt cringey. 'Was he waiting for me?' For the third time, he felt like smacking himself but he didn't. Still, he wanted to come to his senses so he pinched his side without anyone noticing.

But on top of all the confusion he was suddenly experiencing was his feeling of wanting to go back to his classroom and pretend like absolutely nothing of this happened. He hated the attention he was having so much that he feared it would change his perfectly balanced life of 'normality' inside his school.

"Do you remember me?" Kenneth was so stunned that he didn't even feel the cold presence(which, surprisingly turned warm) in front of him.

He heard gasps and whispers when the guy everyone was staring at suddenly turned from a cold beast to a cute little puppy. He was suddenly smiling and his cheeks were flushed pink.

Kenneth tilted his head in confusion. Kenneth felt embarrassed for the guy. And he, because it was so damn contagious, smiled back at the guy who was asking him the question.

Kenneth looked around and there were more and more students gradually approaching to watch this spectacle. 'What was so interesting about two guys talking to each other? Geez.'

He despised the attention so much but when he shifts his gaze in front of him, everything just felt like it's okay to be the center of attention.

Then again, it was all too good to be true. A very popular looking guy suddenly talking to a normal and plain looking guy like Kenneth? It was absurd yet it was happening at this very moment. Kenneth thought so but he was more confused than angry because he can't even hate the guy.

He looked around once more searching for his friends and like him, they too were confused. He heard his stomach begging for food again and thought that his friends must've been feeling hungry for a while now too.

Kenneth turned to the guy in front of him which was still smiling like a puppy.

"Uhm, sorry...I...uh" Kenneth didnt quite know what to say because in truth, he didn't even know who this guy is.

He was so sure that he never met this guy before. But for some reason, it felt like he would be comitting a sin to just ignore him.

He just didn't want to embarrass such a beauty in front of so many people. He felt that it will hunt him for years if he'd do such a thing.

"It's me from the back gate. I was wondering if you even know my name, I don't remember...giving..it to you...so..." Kenneth felt that he was talking as if he was embarrassed.

'Oh that guy!' Kenneth finally realized that they really had the same height. Why didn't he notice it from before. Kenneth didn't even remember his face. He's not really the type to forget easily but he's terrible with faces.

He waited for Kenneth in the middle of the hallway, just to give him his name?

Kenneth felt embarrassed too whenever he looks at the guy's face all flushed pink. Almost as if everything this guy does is contagious. For some reason he wanted to smile so much but resisted the urge to do so.

He didn't want to disclose that he'd been using a hole near the back gate to literally everyone who was watching. But he most certainly didn't want to hurt the guy in front of him, he was just too cute! God be playing favorites now.

Of course, Kenneth kept this thought to himself alone. No guy would ever think that being called cute is nice. It will most probably come out as just an insult

"Oh it's you, haha. I'm glad we both made it inside, What's your name?" Kenneth couldn't help but chuckle nervously, now everyone's watching. He's just hoping that the teachers won't notice because he will have a hard time explaining. 'Was it really so strange the two guys were talking to each other?'

Kenneth thought, that after fidgeting and stuttering, the name was what he wanted to tell Kenneth so much. He didn't know how he'd come up with that thought though, he just knew.

"It's Allen" Allen breathed a silent sigh of relief. Almost as if saying that his mission was finally done.

"You live in the neighborhood, huh? I might see you soon if you start roaming around, I gotta go now Pal. Haven't eaten my lunch yet, It was nice talkin' to ya!"

Kenneth, feeling all sorts of emotions right at that very moment, dashed away from the crowd just to immediately end the attention he was having.

"I'm also the Orange juice guy!" Allen suddenly shouted, voice slightly trembling and face still flushed pink(almost red now) just before Kenneth dashes far away. Kenneth really was feeling hungry so he didn't stop running to reply but he faced Allen and shouted back.

"Thank you for that!"