"Shin! Shin!"
Syn sat by the stone steps of the orphanage, a hand resting on his blushing cheek, while the other massaged his rapidly beating heart. He just could not get it out of his head. The image was plastered in his head, repeating over and over like a record. Nuer leaning down to stare him in the eye, reaching that arm to ruffle his hair while smiling down at him.
"SHIIIINN!"
He jumped with a start, then seeing the little pouty kids glaring at him, he let out a sigh, smiling. "Oh, I'm sorry... did Syn make you wait long?" he asked in a baby voice and held his ears in front of them. "Syn is all at your service! And Syn has donuts!" he picked up the box
The kids giggled, squealing happily as they surrounded him, excited for the treats. Syn giggled happily and opened the box to let them all have one each, making sure all get one and it doesn't fall short. He smiled happily as he sat there watching the kids eating away happily. He let out a deep sigh as he saw the happy, carefree looks on their faces. How happy they were, just to have a donut each? As if the Songkran came earlier. Was it sadder that these kids had all close to nothing that even having leftover donuts from his part time job were a treat to them or was it comforting to see them get happy over just so little?
"Sinsamoe"
He hurriedly stood up and wai'ed to the old warden who smiled at him.
"What are you doing here at this time, son?"
Syn smiled. "I had no shift in the afternoon and my class got cancelled so I came to visit"
The woman nodded, smiling affectionately at the boy. It was not often to find a soul like Sinsamoe, not in these days.
"Come take a walk with me then"
Syn smiled and happily followed after her, talking and telling her all about his days at campus, his job, even his friends. And the new student who seems to not like him and follow after his friend.
"You hold dislike and contempt for the boy. Why? I do not remember you to be the one to dislike anyone" she said and Syn stopped in his tracks.
He blinked. That was true.
Why? Why did Nuer tick him the wrong way?
He did not understand. All he knew was that whenever they met, the guy left him uneasy.
He always felt his heart beat dangerously erratically whenever they were close and his actions, especially the way he acted like a totally different, fake person around Kuea made him worried for his friend. The guy always turned his personality like a clockwork, one moment being a rude and arrogant, somewhat dangerous person and the next, he'd smile so charmingly that could blind anyone and his voice would become soft as velvet.
And he did all that just to get Kuea's attention, even knowing Kuea was committed. And now that Kuea had announced for the guy that he wasn't engaged anymore, Syn knew the guy would be after Kuea more openly, though he doubted Kuea would keep to his word much longer. He knew Kuea and his deal with his fiance. He knew his friend and the lengths he'd go just to make his Hia happy. He was never staying away from his fiance for long. But Nuer didn't know it. And yet, even if unknowingly, Kuea had given Nuer hope.
He let out a sigh. Of course, it upset him that Nuer was trying to get close to Kuea with an ulterior motives. But he can't be too meddling if Kuea was okay with it. Right?
Maybe, he should stop being prejudiced and ask Kuea directly. Warn him. Yes, that was the right thing to do!
##
