Blank Slate

Chapter Thirty-Five

In which it's official.

Bam's POV

". . .!"

Khun's always-relaxed posture tensed up. His eyes widened. His breath hitched. He didn't move.

Bam started to panic.

"I-it's okay if I can't! I just wanted to ask. I totally get it. This probably wasn't the best time. . ."

Bam trailed off as he fully took in the sight before him: Khun slowly giving an almost imperceptible nod.

At first, Bam froze, but then he decided not to hesitate any longer. He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Khun's perfectly pink lips.

And Khun kissed back.

It only lasted a couple seconds, but it was quite possibly the best couple seconds of Bam's life. He pulled away and looked at Khun, whose expression he couldn't read.

Just as the silent pause started to get awkward, Khun leaned forward, initiating a second kiss. And Bam accepted it.

"It took you long enough," a feminine voice called from the door. Bam broke the kiss and looked up to see Endorsi.

With his back still facing her, Khun calmly sighed, "Good evening, Endorsi."

"Good evening my ass, Khun. Are you two dating now?"

The two boys took a second to look each other in the eyes and made a silent agreement.

"Yes," Khun said quietly.

Endorsi sighed. "Congratulations, you two. I mean it. But you'll want to tell Isu and Hatz before they get too angry that I was the first one to know." She paused. "By the way, Jahad is looking for you, Khun. I think it's your turn to play violin again."

Khun checked the time, sighed, and stood up out of his chair. "I suppose it is." With that, he entered the building again, and Bam quickly lost sight of him.

Endorsi crossed her arms and looked at him. "As much as I care for you, Bam. . . If you hurt Khun, I will hurt you." She smirked. "Just ask Michael."

And, with that, the beautiful young lady turned her back on him and went to enter the building, but Bam held onto her wrist. She growled a little and cursed at him.

"That was supposed to be a cool exit." She crossed her arms with a scowl.

"Sorry. Sorry. I just. . . What happened between those two? Michael said it was just that Khun didn't like him back, but it was more than that, wasn't it?"

Endorsi huffed. "Why dont you ask your boyfriend?"

Bam hesitated. "That's—"

"It's not my story to tell," she sighed. "Truly, I'd love to let you in on everything, but I do have an ounce of decency, and that lies in being a good friend." She turned around again, her back to Bam. Then, she looked over her shoulder and gave a sad smile. "It's just. . . Khun is a pretty broken person, ya know?"

And then she disappeared into the building.

Well, at least she got her cool exit.

Bam sighed, combed his fingers through his unreasonably long hair, and entered the building yet again.

---

Two uneventful hours passed. Bam did not engage in conversations with strangers, nor did he dance, eat, or drink. He simply stood in the corner of the room and listened to the music.

It, in fact, was background music. It was difficult to hear over the chaotic chatters around him. But he tuned in as best as he could and let the music engulf him.