I found you

[20] Promise?

"A-Akk, I can't t-take this anymore...P-Please make it stop..." Ayan stuttered between sobs. His face was pressed against Akk's chest, still clinging tightly to his uniform jacket and shaking violently.

Akk felt so sorry for Ayan. He could see that Ayan had reached his breaking point and if he didn't do anything now to help him it would only get worse.

After several minutes of no one speaking or moving, Wat suddenly appeared behind them. Seeing Akk still comforting Ayan on the ground, he hesitated to disturb this emotional situation.

"Akk, I really don't want to bother you, but what should we do now? Khan almost knocked out Khaeng and is now watching him by himself." Wat sighed and ran his hands through his hair.

Akk looked up to Wat and thought for a long time. Even though he had to report this and wanted Khaeng to be expelled from school, he knew that Ayan wouldn't like more people finding out about what happened to him. It would only create more problems and make the bullying even worse.

"Wat, please don't report this to the other prefects. It would only cause more harm to Ayan. After everything he doesn't need any more stress. If he wants to report it, we can still do it later." Akk explained calmly and Wat nodded understandingly.

"Just leave him there and I will take care of Ayan. Thank you for helping me." Akk added and Wat left to inform Khan.

Akk then turned back to Ayan and gently stroked his hair to calm the trembling boy. "Hey, Aye, if it's okay with you, can we go to the nursing room so I can treat your wounds?" He whispered calmly and waited patiently for an answer.

"Akk, I wanna go home." It took longer than expected, but Ayan finally answered. It was a weak and quiet command, but it broke Akk's heart a little. It was really sad to see the once cheerful and talkative boy become so scared and broken, partly because of his hurtful actions.

He carefully tapped Ayan's shoulder to make him look up and the look on his face finally crushed Akk's heart altogether. Ayan looked even more miserable than the last time Akk had spoken to him. His face was badly bruised. His eyes were red and swollen from all the crying and under them were huge dark eye bags. He was so pale, Akk was afraid that he would faint again. And in general, Ayan seemed like he was just hanging on by a thin thread between life and death. It was a truly heartbreaking sight.

"Ok. I'll take you home. Can you stand up?" Akk slowly got up and reached out his hand to help Ayan get up. Ayan's legs were still a little shaky as he tried to stand, so Akk supported him by wrapping one of Ayan's arms around his neck and carefully holding him by his waist but Ayan pushed him away to distance himself from him. Akk understood immediately that he didn't want to be touched like that and backed away understandingly.

Akk then fished his phone out of his jacket and called Khan and Wat to let them know he was taking Ayan over to his house. Of course, Khan and Wat were still worried about him and Ayan, but after Akk assured them that they were fine on their own and had to promise them that he would call when everything was settled they wished Akk all the best and they ended the call.

Walking next to each other to Ayan's house was quiet. But it was a comfortable silence. They felt safe as long as they were next to each other. Talking now would only complicate things unnecessarily and Akk didn't want to push Ayan any further.

Along the way, their hands accidentally touched each other several times, each time making Akk's heart beat faster. Then Ayan suddenly intertwined his fingers with Akk's without saying anything or looking at him, and even though Akk wanted to let go because he didn't want people to see them as a couple, he didn't. Ayan's hand was ice cold and still shaking so Akk put their hands in his jacket pocket to calm him down, even though it now looked the exact opposite of what he wanted.