✒ Chapter 2 : Remember

IN the middle of the class...

Persevering students were busy taking down notes on their respective papers while Khein took out his phone and started taking pictures on the visual aids. The teacher noticed what the rebel guy was doing so she walked towards Khein.

"What do you think you're doing, kid?" the teacher asked Khein and the rebel guy looked at her with a bored face.

"I can't write, Ms." Khein answered. The guy sitting next to Khein, if only there was no passageway between them began to talk.

"Ms., Khein's dominant hand is left, he can't write with his right hand. I will assist him do his notes." Ethan said. Ethan was the class president and a very reliable person. He is a busy type person but he can't just let his classmate be left behind with the class.

"I'll do it!" Rei said smiling and stared at Khein's back who didn't seem to care that much. Ethan was concerned that Khein might bully Rei and even tries to make Rei his underdog. That didn't bother Rei at all. Rei nodded and smiled at Ethan affirmatively.

"Okay then. Just tell me if you need help okay?" Ethan said to Khein. Khein sighed and rolled his eyes. The rebel guy averted his eyes towards the window and felt tired. He thought of sleeping because he never had any good sleep at all. He was not able to sleep last night because his arm hurt so much that he kept tossing around on his bed. His eyebugs could be visibly seen but it was nothing new to him. He loves staying up late at night to watch some movies and of course, porn. He was a teenager experiencing puberty after all.

The day went well and it's time for everyone to go home except for Rei and Khein. Khein wanted to go on a skating park or maybe have some smoke somewhere. But he couldn't just leave Rei alone in the classroom so he stayed to accompany him.

"And what made you think to help me, boy?" Khein asked with his one leg crossing on the other as he looked at Rei- happily copying his notes. Rei smiled and put down his pen to look at Khein directly. Khein looked away as he felt Rei's stares could drown him in.

"Because I like you" Rei confessed boldy.

"What the fuck, dumbass" Khein cursed and kicked one of the table's foot in front of Rei. Khein isn't gay, he's not into some homosexual relationships but he's not homophobic either.

"Finish it quickly, I don't have much time to waste here" Khein said, he didn't take Rei's answer seriously and considered it as a joke. He wasn't pissed nor affected at all. He didn't even care why Rei volunteered to help him. He would understand if it was Ethan. Their class president is just too kind to help everyone and that really benefits Khein at times like this.

"You can go home if you want to. I'm fine, Kheiny" Rei said with a friendly smile. Khein felt goosebumps the moment he heard Rei gave him a nickname and he frowned.

"Cut the crap, dude, it's not cute" Khein said with a bored look. He grabbed his bag and looked at Rei who was busy copying his notes.

"Whatever" the rebel boy said and left the classroom, leaving Rei behind.

•••

THE next day...

"Hey dude, wanna hang out this weekend?" one of Khein's friends asked him and he immediately rejected it.

"Go hang yourselves in your house, I'm not going" Khein declined. He didn't like parties nor hanging out with people he's not too familiar with. He would prefer slacking off inside his room, play some video games and watch some movies. His hand was doing fine but he still couldn't write. He went towards his seat and saw his notebook on his table. He looked at Rei sleeping on his table with his delicate fingers filled with some unerased ink. They have six subjects everyday and Rei just made six notes for him yesterday.

"Hey, let me treat you to lunch, boy" Khein said to Rei but the tired guy didn't seem to hear that.

The two never had lunch and it didn't matter to Khein at all. The day went on with Khein having a leisure life while Rei having trouble because of doubling his works in every subject. The class ended and Rei was left behind inside the classroom again, he had to copy Khein's notes or else he will do tons of work for the next day. Rei finished Khein's notes a bit earlier than yesterday. He put his things inside his backpack and left the classroom. He happily went to the guardhouse and swiped his ID to leave school. He was about to ride a bus when he noticed a familiar figure under the waiting shed. His smiles got brighter as he approached the tough looking guy with his one hand tucked inside his pocket and his injured hand holding a lit cigarette. Rei's brows furrowed as he grabbed the cigarette with his bare hand. Khein realized what Rei just did and he immediately looked at Rei's burnt palm.

"Dumbass! why did you do that? Are you crazy?!" Khein gasped as he looked at Rei angrily.

"Smoking isn't good for you" Rei stated angrily

"And you think grabbing a burnt cigarette with your bare hand is good for you?!" Khein asked angrily. Rei bowed his head down for his stupid action.

"I told you before to be a good boy" Rei said with a sad face. He rubbed his two palms smoothly together like a child being punished by his parent.

"You never listened to me, Kheiny. That's why I have to look and take care of you again" he added

Khein's eyes widened as he looked at Rei. His knees felt weak and he started taking steps backwards.

"You....are you that kid from before?" Khein asked, fear enveloped him as he stared at Rei's dark eyes. The guy smiled back at him happily.

"Yes, I've been looking for you. Were you running away from me, Kheiny?" Rei asked and held Khein's broken arm carelessly- which made the rebel boy flinched because of the pain.

"Get lost! You never changed, you psycho!" Khein said and hurriedly rode on the bus that just arrived. Rei didn't follow him. He just watched Khein ran away and stared at the bus until it was gone. Rei sighed and smiled.

"You never changed too, Khein"