Peace

Chapter 02: Ataraxy

Win has just finished his final class of the day. He hurriedly packs his things and stands up, gaining attention from his classmates. He almost rolls his eyes at them, but he refrains himself, as he does not want things to escalate more than the already hurtful insults that they throw at him every day. "Going somewhere, uaan?" Ray, the biggest bully of the class, asks him.

He ignores the bully and hoists the strap of his backpack over his shoulder. Win quickly finds his way out of the class and breathes out a sigh of relief. He glances at his watch. The time shows half-past twelve in the afternoon. Win does not have to be at his father's office until 2 o'clock. So, he jogs down the hallway and makes a sharp turn to the left, heading to the English Department.

Inside, he wishes Bright is sitting at his usual spot right now, under the shady tree at the field. It has been a week since their second encounter and Win has never failed to visit the guy at his faculty every day. Win can already feel his chest making a rattling sound from within. It happens when he makes a lot of movement. But Win cannot care less about that. All he cares about at the exact moment is seeing Bright's face again.

Once Win steps into the wonderland (he decided to call the English Department that), his heart leaps in joy. He sees Bright, who is sitting on the bench under the tree. A sheen of sweat covers Win's forehead from being in the sun for too long. He walks briskly towards the spot and arrives there in no time. It looks like Bright is writing something again in his journal.

"Hey," Win murmurs as he sits down next to the man.

Bright looks up from the page that he's writing on and turns to his side. "You again, Pumpui," he dramatically sighs, scooting further from Win until he reaches at the end of the bench.

Win pouts at that and scoots closer to Bright-close enough for their shoulders to touch one another. "What are you writing in your journal today, P'Bai?"

Bright closes his journal and turns to look at Win again. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't like that name? Phom mai chai phi khong khun, I'm not your brother," he rolls his eyes.

"Well then, should I call you P'Babe instead?" Win teases, chuckling at his own weak attempt of flirting with the guy.

Bright gives him an are-you-kidding look, mouth hanging low at what Win just said. He shakes his head and sighs. "You don't want to be involved with me. You will... never be at peace," he whispers, audible enough for Win to catch his last sentence.

"Who are you to decide my peace?" Win questions, removing his backpack from his shoulder and places it on the grass.

"Exactly, who am I?" Bright replies in a hypothetical tone. There is a short pause before he speaks again. "I fly above the wind, yet can I not arise, and nought I have, and all the world I seize on," he smiles pathetically at himself as he recites the verse from a poem written by Sir Thomas Wyatt.

Win tilts his head to the side. "Phi, I'm not an English Language and Literature student, na khrab," he reminds Bright.

"How did you know I'm studying that here?" Bright asks, eyes squinting while looking at Win.

"I saw your notebook the other day," Win reveals. "I don't understand what you just recited, but I do acknowledge its beauty."

Bright shrugs and opens his journal again. He scribbles some random words on a blank page. The word 'peace' suddenly catches his interest. What is peace? "Why are you here, Pumpui?"

"I have a name, you know. It's Win," Win stresses on the vowel in his name.

Bright leans closer to Win and smirks. "Ah, I see. Okay... Pumpui," he throws his head back, laughing when he sees Win's mouth close and open like a fish being on the land for too long.