FOUL PLAY

06. A DIFFERENT SIDE

Nanon glanced at the seat beside him as it remained unoccupied for the third day now.

He couldn't focus on his lessons; he couldn't eat or sleep without having to think of Chimon.

His friend has been missing for 3 days now, and his whereabouts remained unknown to both Nanon and the rest of their friends.

"That's it for today, have a nice day" once their lecturer was gone, students stood up to walk to their next classes. First came to sit beside him.

"It's been 3 days, what's your plan?" And that was the problem, Nanon didn't have any plan. His brain was blocked; his mind jungled up, everything was a mess.

He knew this was a risk they had to take - he had to take - but now he kept wondering if he had been over his head,

"Really? Nothing?" He heard First let out a frustrated sigh, "Just when we need your brains, you got nothing" he stood up and went out of his classroom with Frank, Tu following him.

He stared at the entrance door they left out with. His mind drifted back to the day Chimon was caught.

"You promised no one was going to get caught!!" Jimmy shouted, his voice malice, "I should have known better than to trust a newbie"

"Hey!! I tried my best"

"Not hard enough!" that left Nanon tongue tied, "Or perhaps it was the plan all along" Nanon eyed Jimmy, a frown displaying on his face

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Ohm. Are you in cahoots with him?" Nanon let out an unbelievable chuckle.

"Jimmy! That's enough" Tu shouted out.

"I know you don't like me, but to insinuate something like that - that I could have gotten Chimon caught, it's a bit low of you"

"I don't trust you, I never had and now that Chimon has been caught, I can't help but wonder"

"Jimmy! I said that's enough!" Tu could see and feel that everyone was frustrated and tense, especially Jimmy.

Nanon understood that they all needed someone to blame and since he was new, he was the easy target and so he didn't blame them, he didn't blame Jimmy. He understood.

Jimmy was right. He had promised them no one was going to get caught. He had told them to trust him, they all did but he had broken that trust and now he had no way to get Chimon back.

If he confronted Ohm, he would be forced to reveal everything to him. Nanon still didn't know the type of person Ohm was.

He needed time to read him, learn him and make him warm up to him but now time was not on his side.

The more time he spent thinking, the more time Chimon supposedly suffered.

Walking down the corridor, Nanon saw Ohm standing next to and having a talk with a lecturer.

He thought of turning around and going back but he didn't feel like going to class. What he felt like doing was, being in the comfort of his bed.

He took a deep breath and walked towards them. Passing them, Nanon could hear the beating of his heart.

Recently it had been like that, whenever he was in close proximity to Ohm, his heart flustered.

It took him only a few steps before Ohm was on to him. Nanon stopped in his steps as Ohm stood in front of him eyeing him from head to toe,

"You seem stressed" came out more as a statement than a question. He passed him as he resumed his walk to his dorm. Gently, Nanon felt himself being turned around, Ohm's hands on his wrists, "What's wrong?"