✒ Chapter 12 : Light touch

ETHAN rushed back towards their classroom and saw Khein sitting at the back finishing his meal. Ethan noticed the medium sized bandaged on Khein's neck. He made his way to Khein and stared at him for not too long.

"What happened to your neck?" Ethan asked, his face was filled with sympathy. Khein sniffed his nose like a horse as if telling Ethan to mind his own business. Ethan pouted and returned to his own seat. Khein left his seat and made his way towards the garbage can in the corner near the exit door. Ethan watched him as the rebel guy threw the disposable tupperware inside the can. It created a small sound and Khein immediately returned to his seat only to listen to music. He put on his headphones again and closed his eyes. If Khein was home, he was already lying carelessly on the living room or directly into his room. Khein was a lazy punk and believe it or not, he still didn't know what he wanted to do in the future. He was smarter than Ethan specially in Math but he was born lazy. He never studied at home. He sometimes forget to do his projects but he was too talented enough to finish them impromptu at school. That impressed the teachers but none had accepted the fact that Khein was just not giving any importance towards his works nor to his future.

Lunchbreak was over and most of the students have returned to their classes. Though the rebel didn't seem to care much, he frowned when he realized no one was sitting next to Ethan. The next teacher came and Ethan immediately informed the teacher that Rei was sick and that he was resting inside the school clinic. That didn't affect Khein much.

"That's what he gets for pestering me" Khein cursed silently and tapped his fingers on the desk.

"So, what are your plans for this coming Sinulog Festival?" the teacher asked the students and the whole class answered him all at once. Their words created a riot but the teacher easily got rid of the noise by swiping his left hand in the air and closed his palm, like what teachers used to do hand gestures when they wanted the class to shut up.

"Why do they need to ask? They just wanted us to make essays when we come back" Khein murmured like a fish. The teacher asked Ethan the same question so the president stood up.

"I think I will be spending it with my father inside his shop. The shop would really need a lot of helpers this coming festival." Ethan answered firmly like an innocent kid. Everytime Ethan speaks, the class seemed to feel like there was an opening of the gate of heaven behind him.

"That's good, as expected. Good children will always help their parents, and how about the others?" the teacher asked the whole class once again.

"Live young, wild and free!" the class clown shouted and then the whole class turned into a chaos again.

•••

THE clouds were darker than the usual and Rei finally decided to go home with no one to fetch him. The class was over and Ethan went to the clinic to give Rei a hand. The scenario he just saw earlier flashed through his mind. Center was on top of Rei without a shirt on. At first he thought it was weird, but then he suddenly imagined a scenario where it was him instead if Rei below Center. He shook his head to get rid of the thought and he finally reached the clinic. He saw Rei preparing himself to get off from bed so he immediately gave him a support by holding either one of Rei's arm. The psycho guy was shocked because of the sudden contact but finally relaxed when he realized it was just Ethan. Rei smiled at Ethan as the president handed his bag to him. He bowed his head slightly as a thanks to Ethan's thoughtfulness.

"Are you feeling better now?" Ethan asked like a mother towards Rei. Rei smiled with the sudden thought that Ethan cared for him. He nodded as a response to Ethan's thoughtful question. Ethan seemed to be unconvinced and added a statement, "I can accompany you home, just in case."

Rei smiled but shook his head. Ethan has been so helpful to him the whole day. He couldn't bear any longer to ask anything from him.

"I'm fine, I can go home. Safely." Rei emphasized the word 'safely' to convince Ethan that he would be fine going home alone. Ethan didn't insist and just helped Rei out of the clinic. If Ethan was a girl, Rei would see him like a sister or maybe his mother. Rei chuckled softly as he imagined Ethan being a shy girl.

"I think if you were a girl, I'll ask you on a date!" Rei teased Ethan as they both went out of the room. Ethan frowned and he almost forgot that Rei hasn't fully recovered yet- to the point that he gave Rei a spanking on the head. Rei liked teasing Ethan because the president blushes so easily. He liked being around with Ethan because he felt comfortable and could joke around him.

"Do you want another bed rest?" Ethan asked sarcastically as he showed his fist to Rei and bit his lips like a child. Rei found it cute so he stopped teasing Ethan or the president might cry. Rei hanged his arm around Ethan's neck as they both walked in the hallway. On the other end of the hallway, a guy with his hands inside his pocket appeared.

"Dumbass" Khein cursed and kicked one of the garbage can standing near the post. He snobbed as he followed the two headed towards the exit. He kept the distance so the psycho guy in front of him wouldn't notice his presence. He didn't intended to follow them, it just happened that there was only one way towards the exit of the building. Outside the school, Khein was still behind Rei when he took out his phone and saw Rei's messages. He didn't read them and he continued walking towards the bus stop. His eyes looked around because the psycho guy suddenly disappeared. To his surprise, Rei appeared in front of Khein out of nowhere. The rebel guy didn't flinched at all.

Rei looked at Khein's aided neck and placed his two fingers on his lips as if he was about to give Khein a flying kiss.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Khein frowned and glared at Rei. A thin smile escaped behind Rei's fingers as he placed them on Khein's bandage.

"Healed" Rei said with a smile as his soft fingers touched Khein's neck. He stared at Khein's neck ang unconsciously gulped which made the rebel guy felt awkward.

"Just trying it out if it'll work" he said as he left the rebel guy y dumbfounded.