All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 15🌻

PAST
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"What does that mean, I'm reliable?' Gulf muttered as he headed back to the classroom to get his bag. He had been eager to help in the past, but at this time of year, with the exams were looming, Gulf wanted to avoid getting wrapped up in time-consuming things. But that didn't mean that he could turn down Suzushima's request once he'd made it.

All he could do now was pray that this new student wasn't going to be any trouble.

"He didn't even listen to me."

Gulf glanced at his watch. He'd felt like he'd been in the office a long time, but it had only been about thirty minutes.

'How am I going to kill time before cram school?' Gulf wondered. He opened the door to the classroom, then froze.

He'd thought no one would be there. But there was a man sitting at a desk next to the window. He was silhouetted against the light of the setting sun. Then Gulf's nostrils caught the smell of tobacco. Classes were over for the day, so there was no telling when a teacher might walk by. And anyway, it was just insane to be smoking in a classroom.

"If someone catches you smoking here, they'll do more than just expel you." Gulf said automatically shutting the door behind him.

"Who are you?" a baritone vlice replied.

"Isn't it usually considered more polite to give your own name before you ask someone else for theirs?" Gulf shot back. He put his hands on his hips and took a slow step forward. As the angle of the sunlight changed, he was able to make out the man sitting at the desk.

His long legs were stretched across a desk, and he was wearing jeans, not a uniform. In his hands he held a cigarette and a paperback novel. Gulf recognized the cover and realized that it was the book he had left on his desk.

It was 'Camus: The Stranger.' When he was leaving his house, he slipped it into his bag to give to a friend at school. He'd bought it in middle school, but no matter how often Gulf read it, he couldn't figure out what was so great about it.

"My name is Gulf and I'm the class representative. And while we're on the subject, that's my book."

"Sorry. It was just lying here, so I picked it up to kill some time."

The boy took the cigarette from his mouth and apologized more readily than Gulf had expected. He swung his legs down from the desk and stood up.

Even from a distance, Gulf could tell he was tall. His legs were long, he almost had the proportions of a model. As the boy walked slowly toward him, Gulf gasped at his good looks.

The profile of his face showed a perfectly straight nose. Below his well-shaped eyebrows, his big eyes were now turned on Gulf, who stood before them.

He didn't recognize this remarkably handsome man with the perfect, angular features.

"Here," he said roughly, holding out the book.

"Do you like reading?"

"Nope," the boy replied without hesitation. "I was only reading your book because of the sun."

"Naturally," Gulf said somewhat sarcastically, arching an eyebrow momentarily. He reached out to take the book back.

In 'The Stanger', the lead character killed someone and said that he did it 'because of the sun.' This man no doubt he knew that when he responded the way he did.

Gulf was impressed by his comeback. "And I bet you're going to say you're smoking in here because of the sun too?"

"No way." The man had changed position and was obscured by the sunlight once again. "I'm smoking because I want to."

He offered the cigarette he held between his fingers to Gulf. Feeling pressured, Gulf took the cigarette between his lips and the distinctive smoke of tobacco billowed into his nostrils and lungs.

Gulf began coughing, and the man took the cigarette back from him, taking a drag as if it were second nature to him. "You've never smoked before?"

"Of course not."

Gulf squinted at him with watery eyes, but the man just laughed at him. He slapped Gulf on the shoulder and walked past him.

The spicy scent of cologne blended with the intoxicating smoke of tobacco, sending a shudder down Gulf's spine. This smell was clearly unlike that of his classmates. It was the smell of a man.

"There you are, Mew."

They heard a lifeless monotone in the hallway and Gulf's breath caught. It sounded like the voice he'd just heard in the office.

"Yeah, I'm coming."

At the easy way the man responded, Gulf began to connect the dots.

"See ya."

The man gave an off-handed wave as he headed into the hall. Gulf rushed after him impulsively. "Wait!"

Gulf caught up to the man, but also the man in the suit that he'd seen with Suzushima in the office. He was sure of it. There was something imposing about him, more apparent now up close, perhaps because of the breadth of his shoulders in the two-piece suit. And there was, like before, something about him that was unlike other people.

That must be him. The transfer student Suzushima told him about. But he needed to hear him say it.

"So you just demand people's names, then refuse to give your own?"

The man stood crookedly, one hand in his pocket and looked at Gulf with a strong gaze. Gulf fell silent at the pentrating power of his eyes.

"And who are you?"

The man in the suit pushed up the bridge of his glasses as he took a step forward, but the other man blocked him with a hand. "You shut up."

"But, Mew---"

"Let it go!"

A shudder went up Gulf's spine at the powerful dignity in his voice as he warned back the man who seemed much older than himself. Without thinking, even Gulf stood a little straighter. The man in the suit said nothing more and, without changing his expression, he wordlessly acknowleged the situation and took a step back.

"You're pretty cute, for a boy," the man whispered, gazing at Gulf's face in complete seriousness.

"What---?"

"Mew." Gulf's heart pounded as the man gave him his name. "Mew Suppasit. I'm transferring to this school next week. Maybe you'll get to be my representative."

The man paid no attention to Gulf's surprise and simply gave a slight smile before turning his back.

TBC