All You Need Is Love (MewGulf AU)

🌞Chapter 16🌻

PAST
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The following Monday, there was a strange excitement in the air when Gulf arrived at the classroom a little late.

"You're late, Gulf."

"I overslept."

For some reason he'd had trouble sleeping the night before. He'd started reading a book and wound up finishing it. Of course, by that time it was starting to get light outside, and the sunlight coming through the gap in the curtains had made him feel light-headed.

Gulf's seat was next to the window in the back of the class. It was one desk back from where  he'd found Mew sitting. Soichi Takaoka, who'd just spoken to him, sat in that seat. He was a huge guy, he'd played with the rugby team until the beginning of spring.

"I heard we're getting a new kid today. From Tokyo."

Gulf looked up. "I know."

He had been unable to forget about it ever since Suzushima talked to him. Even though he was swamped studying for exams and doing school work, he wouldn't get Mew's face out of his mind.

Especially those eyes of his, that had such power to penetrate people's souls. That wasn't something easily forgotten. Gulf had never met anyone with eyes like that before.

"Remember how Suzushima wanted to see me after school last week? He told me about it then."

"Then you know about him?"

"Know what?"

"Apparently he's the heir to a yakuza family!"

Gulf wrinkled his forehead at that. He hadn't told anyone that, but apparently word spread fast.

"Do you know if it's true that the reason he left his last school was because he got a girl pregnant?"

His words sent a chill down Gulf's spine.

"Someone was in the office just before the new kid came in and he got a look at him. He said he was really good looking. I bet girls were throwing themselves at him."

Takaoka was abandoning himself to his curiosity. That was probably behind all the excitement in the classroom.

"I knew he couldn't just be some regular guy if he was changing schools at a time like this."

"What do you mean you knew?" For some reason, Gulf felt anger swelling in the pit of his stomach.

"I just figured guys from Tokyo would be different grom guys like us and---"

"You can't just decide what's true and what's not when you don't know anything about a person." He slammed his hands down on his desk and pushed himself to his feet suddenly. The noise of the room fell away in an instant at Gulf's menacing voice. "That goes for the rest of you too! You haven't even met this guy. Don't make judgments about people when all you've got are a bunch of speculations and rumors. That's an order! Am I clear?"

"What's up with you, Gulf?" Takaoka whispered to Gulf as he sat back in his chair. He was still worked up. Before he could answer, the door at the front of the room slid open.

"Everyone's so quiet today." Suzushima came into the room with a suspicious look on his face, dressed in a grey suit. A hush fell over the room, as if they were obeying Gulf's words. "I usually can't even hear myself shouting in here, you're so loud. You must not be feeling good if you're this quiet."

Suzushima stood at his desk in front of the room and did the roll call as usual.

"And Yasuda's absent. That completes the roll. Well, I'm sure you all are already aware of this, but we have a new student. Come in, Mew."

Shoulders squared. Mew's eyes swept over the room irritably, and the class grew uneasy.

"This is our new student, Mew Suppasit. Mew, I'm going to let our class representative take care of the rest. Gulf, raise your hand."

Tension thrilled through Gulf's body when Suzushima called on him. "Here, sir."

"Your seat is next to him. If you have questions about electives or anything else, he'll help you."

"Okay," Mew replied flippantly and walked straight to Gulf. He didn't pay any attention to the stares of the students on either side of him. He arrived at the desk that had been prepared for him.

"Hi, I'm Gulf Kanawut."

Gulf extended his hand to Mew, not daring to mention the last time they'd seen each other. But Mew didn't react beyond sparing Gulf a glance. He flopped into his seat and turned away from him.

TBC