Chapter 26: A Walk Down Memory Lane

1 and a Half Years ago…

"Shia, Gem! Why do I have to get dragged into these tutoring sessions with you?" Gemini's classmate and friend, Alan walked beside him, complaining all the way to the food stall where they usually had snacks after a grueling day at school and then at tuitions. 

"When did I drag you, ai sat!?" Gemini was usually a patient person, but recent incidents have been stretching his patience to its limits. "Your dad wants you to go to med school just as much as my dad's do. Your dad asked us to join together since we are school toppers! If you're so frustrated then try failing in one exam! See what happens!"

But instead of looking disheartened or annoyed, Alan actually looked at Gemini hopefully. "Do you think that would work?" He asked, almost enthusiastically. "If I fail next semester…do you think my dad will finally agree that I'm not cut out for med school? Maybe I can convince him that I'm into coding instead and get him to shift to majoring in computer science?"

Gemini looked at his friend in awe, not really understanding how he could just give up in the middle of it, after they have been preparing to get into med school for the past six months.

"You can do whatever you want, but don't even suggest I take part in it alongside you." Gemini shook his head. "I'm not ready to die young."

"Oho! Why are your dads so strict about studying anyway?" Alan shook his head. "It's like they want to force your head into a book and tape it to your face."

Sometimes…Gemini wondered the same. But so far, none of the brothers have been managed to answer the question as to why their fathers were so strict about everything, especially their dad Tay Tawan. He even had the perfect future envisioned for all three of his sons. 

Gemini didn't have a problem with it, in fact, the idea of becoming a doctor and saving lives was appealing, but he did hope that someday, his parents would be a little more lenient. 

"Nevermind." Alan shook his head as they took their seats at the stall they visited almost regularly. "Do you want the crispy fried banana fritters as usual? Or do you want to try the squid?"

"The banana." Gemini shrugged, placing his bag and phone on the table as his friend did the same. "Can you get me a glass of sugarcane juice as well?"

"Sure." Alan took the fifty baht that Gemini offered him and headed to the stall to order their food.

Gemini was using up his allowance money to eat fried food that wasn't really good for him, but it was nine in the evening and there was still some time left till dinner and he was way too tired to go back home and make something for himself. So it was best to have a tiny snack on his way home.

But as he waited for his friend to return to their table, his phone began to ring. 

"Alan!" Gemini called out to his friend. "Your phone!"

"Get it, will you?" Alan called back, busy juggling the food in his hands as he handed the money to the seller aunty.

Gemini looked at the screen of his friend's phone, to find the name 'Troublemaker' written in bold letters.

"Arai wa?" He frowned, before picking up the phone…only to hold it a few inches away from his ears when the blare of music nearly burst his ear drums.

"Shia Alan! You motherfucker! How dare you make my life living hell! You're the worst asshole in the planet!"

Gemini blinked slowly…bringing the phone back to his ears as he got accustomed to the music. No…he wasn't astounded because Alan was getting a call from someone that he had saved as 'Troublemaker' and the call was filled with curses.

Gemini was astounded because the boy…whose voice was more than a bit slurry…was actually singing the cuss song in tune with the music in the background.

He couldn't help it…a small smile spread across his face as he continued to hear the song, the singer doing an impressive job of mimicking the whole song by just using cuss words. That was talent that no one could easily replicate.

But before he could ask the singer his name or say anything at all, two other panicked voices sounded from behind and then the phone went dead.

"Who was it?"

Startled, Gemini drops the phone onto the table and Alan leans down to look at the name, before a scoff escapes his lips. "That idiot! What did he want now? It's not even assignment time, so why was he even calling?"

"Who is this?" Gemini pointed to the caller ID. "Why did you name them troublemaker?"

"Oh! That ai Fourth! Fourth Nattawat Jirawatthanakul." Alan shrugged, handing Gemini his beverage.

"Lao…why is he named like this? Is he one of the bad kids?" Gemini didn't know why he was suddenly curious, but after listening to his song…he wanted to know the person even more.

"Aye…meshai." Alan shook his head immediately. "He isn't a troublemaker in that sense. In fact, he isn't bad at studying either, he ranks right after us. But he's the president of the music club, I think you might have seen him around, the guy who always brings his guitar to school."

Gemini could vaguely remember a boy sitting with his team towards the back of the class. They were usually the nosiest group and often performed at school functions, which he never found time to attend. However, more often than not, he would either bunk classes to practice his songs or be on official breaks due to functions. 

"He always asks for extra time to finish his assignments or asks for an extension." Alan told him now, sounding frustrated. "That's why I've saved him as troublemaker. So…what did he ask for this time?"

"Nothing…he just…sang you a song."

Alan almost spit out his drink. "Huh?"

Gemini couldn't help but burst out laughing at his friend's perplexed expression. "Jing-jing! He really did!"

"Okay, what's the catch!" Alan narrowed his eyes at Gemini. "He isn't the type to randomly dedicate a love song to me at nine on a Thursday evening!"

"Hey, I never said it was a love song." Gemini shrugged, but he couldn't stop laughing. It felt like a breath of fresh air to him, this person whose call he had mistakenly received and was now completely smitten to the point where he couldn't stop thinking about this boy.

"Will you tell me what it was?" Alan sighed. "By the way you keep laughing, it wasn't anything good was it?"

"I'd rather not." Gemini smiled. "But if he comes to apologize…just…go easy on him?"

"Wow!" Alan's eyes widened in shock. "I never thought I'd live to see the day Gemini Noravit was smitten with someone. After having nearly 80% of the school population chasing after you, you found the one who caught your attention, and you didn't even see his face!"

"I plan on visiting him soon." Gemini nodded, thinking more to himself than anyone else. "He had a really nice voice…I want to listen to him sing from up close."

"Would you even have time for that?" Alan asked seriously. "You're so busy studying for med school…"

"I'll make time." Gemini reassured his friend. "After all, I need something to motivate me to go further. And maybe…I think I found just the right one."

*

A couple days later, Gemini stood in front of the music club, his heart hammering inside his chest as he waited for the members to finish rehearsals and leave the room. 

From what he'd heard, Fourth often stayed back till later, rehearsing or just writing songs on his own. It would be the perfect time for him to talk, to ask him to give him lessons so he could spend more time with him.

However, what Gemini hadn't anticipated was the fact that Fourth would be just as popular as him…or maybe even more.

Several girl lined outside the music room, notebooks in hand as they waited for his autograph and the line didn't end with just girls. There were several boys there as well, waiting for the music session to end.

'At this rate…I can never find time to talk to him alone.' Gemini thought to himself, disappointed.

But as the doors to the music room opened and the crowd rushed forward with their notebooks…the only person missing among the crowd was Fourth. Sighs of disappointment were heard from miles away as his friends notified the expecting crowd that Fourth couldn't make it, and one of those sighs belonged to Gemini.

Face fallen in disappointment, he moved back towards his class where he had left his backpack, his heart heavy as he dragged his feet across the empty hallways.

But just before he got ready to climb up the stairs to his classroom, a soft, melodic sound drifted to his ears from the very last room down the hallway.

Curious, he walked down the hall, following the sound of the voice until he reached an empty classroom. The door was locked from the inside, but the window was slightly ajar…but that gave him enough leeway to view inside the class.

And there he was…sitting atop one of the benches with his guitar in his hands and a notepad open right in front of him.

Fourth Nattawat was everything Gemini could've dreamed of and more. The little pen stowed away behind his ears made him appear even cuter in Gemini's eyes, and he couldn't stop staring at him as he strummed his guitar, his brows furrowed in concentration as he took out his pen and wrote down what appeared to be parts of a song.

"Narak…" Gemini whispered to himself as time stood still, his eyes never leaving the enigmatic figure who was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even realize he was being watched.

And then, as if finally noticing that he was being watched…Fourth looked towards the window, his eyes locking with Gemini's in a searing connection that left them both flabbergasted…and maybe even a bit breathless.