✒ Chapter 9 : Getting along

REI saw Khein went inside the bus so he followed him. Khein didn't know that he was riding on the same bus with Rei. He sat next to the window and put his headphones on. He closed his eyes and listened to a soft music. Khein fell asleep after 20 minutes and finally opened his eyes slowly. He felt someone was sitting next to him so he slowly turned his head to see who it was. The song made a special effect as he saw a tall and pale guy sitting next to him while sleeping. The slow music was playing inside Khein's head as he watched Rei's sleeping face peacefully. He never realized he was staring at the guy's face for a long time until Rei suddenly opened his eyes. He rubbed both his eyes and looked at Khein who immediately looked away. Khein tried his best to focus on the outside as he felt Rei staring at him. He pretended that he couldn't hear.

"I'm sorry, I didn't really mean to sit next to you" Rei's voice was not too loud but Khein could hear it clearly. Rei knew that Khein would feel uncomfortable when he finds him sitting next to him. A lady rode on the bus and Rei imediately offered his seat to the lady. Khein saw Rei bit his bottom lip as the pale boy bowed his head while holding on the iron bars. Rei tried bowing his head as far as he could and tried his best not to look at Khein so the rebel guy won't be mad at him. Khein saw that childish behavior and his heart was pounding crazily. Rei looked like a puppy as he bit his bottom lip every now and then as he glanced at Khein who was constantly looking back at him. Khein felt guilty. He wanted Rei to stay away from him, he wanted to hate Rei. But seeing Rei together with another guy, especially Ethan irritates him. He hated how Rei ignored him because of Ethan. Rei gave Khein one last glance before he took off from the bus. He caught Khein looking at him so he smiled bitterly. He couldn't manage to smile cheerfully in front of Ethan because he was afraid it might irritates Khein even more. He mouthed the word 'Bye Kheiny' and smiled at Khein. Khein looked away and frowned, his heart was beating fast and he couldn't help to clutch it with his hand. It's as if he was going to have a heart attack any time soon.

'Calm down, Khein. You can't let him get you' he said to himself mentally. Later on, his phone vibrated and saw Rei's messages.

"Take care, Kheiny. Don't skip dinner, okay?" -seen

Khein tried to ignore the another message but he read it after a couple of minutes.

"I miss you :)" -seen

Khein's heart was pounding like crazy and he felt a weird feeling in his stomach. He felt like throwing up or he was shaking like he had a fever. He turned off his phone and he saw his own reflection on the screen. He was blushing and he felt his face became even hotter.

"Dumbass, don't get carried away" he murmured.

"Excuse me?" the lady beside Khein asked, she thought he said something to her so she asked. Khein awkwardly smiled at the lady and said, "Nothing"

•••

Khein ate dinner with his mom.

"Are you sick?" his mother asked when Khein started heading upstairs. Khein frowned because of the question.

"No, why?" he asked back

"Owh you don't usually eat dinner, I was worried you were sick, honey! Hahaha go to bed now!" his mother said with an evil laugh. Khein made a sarcastic sneer and went inside his room. Midnight came and Khein decided to go out like what he usually do. He went out for a smoke and he met four guys skating in the street. He avoided them as he was about to pass through them but one of the guys called him.

"Hey dude!" the guy called Khein so he turned his head towards them.

"Yeah?" he answered. The guy seemed irritated by his attitude and the way he speaks with still his cigarette in his mouth.

"I like your jacket" the guy said obviously. Khein shrugged his shoulders as if telling that his taste of clothes was the best.

"Yeah! Me too!" he replied from a far and started skating away but the guys followed him. Khein felt them following behind him so he stopped. Four against one was not that hard but he didn't mean to make conflicts. If he ever tried to mess up, he might not be able to go out at night because some of these guys's friends might hunt him at night.

"I assume you are smart enough to get what I mean, boy" the guy said as he held Khein's hoodie. Khein sighed and decided to take off his jacket and just give it away. Khein wasn't able to hand his jacket to them because someone held the boy's neck and grabbed him away from Khein. Rei kicked one of the guy's leg and he stumbled on the ground with his knees. The boy was kneeling in front of Rei as the psycho guy stared at him blankly.

"Stay away from him" Rei warned the guy. Khein couldn't speak nor think at this moment. The other guy was holding a knife under Khein's throat and his neck was bleeding.

"Hey hero! You want me to slit this fella's neck right now?!" the other guy who was holding Khein threatened Rei. His knife digged deeper on Khein's throat. The rebel boy hissed in pain so Rei let go of the guy in his hand. He looked at the guy who was holding a knife with his cold black pair of eyes.

"Go ahead, motherfucker" Rei said and stared at the guy.

"You think I know this guy? I'm in a bad mood today, so be sure to run as fast as you can after you kill him. You know I love chasing someone until they surrender to me." Rei said as his eyes turned darker.

"Now, I'll give you a choice. Let me play with him a little longer while you run..." Rei said and looked at Khein with dead eyes.

"...Or let me kill you all at once" Rei gave them a creepy smile which made the four guys shake in fear and run away. Khein fell on the ground with his hand covering his bleeding neck. He looked at Rei who was turning his back on him. He expected Rei to ask him if he was alright and give him a piggyback ride at least.

"I'm sorry for intruding. I'm going now" Rei said. He was making a sad face but Khein didn't saw it. He didn't want Khein to see it. Rei's knuckles were bleeding and Khein noticed it.

'What did he do to his hand?' Khein asked himself mentally. Rei started walking away as Khein watched his back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Khein asked Rei with a growl.

"Following your command, I'm staying away from you. But remember, I'm always around you" Rei said and gave Khein a bitter smile.

"Stop!" Khein shouted as Rei walked away. Rei follows everything what Khein says so he stopped.

"Come back" Khein demanded with his blushing face burried under his palm and his other hand still holding his wounded neck.

"Say 'please'" Rei said with a grin but Khein didn't saw it. He was too embarassed to look at Rei. He thought Rei was a sadist for making him say those words. And obediently, Khein just made the psycho fell for him even deeper as he said under his palm, "Please, Rei"