Vintage Diaries.

10. Coming out

"Priew" Kiryu said as he sat on the stone bench next to Din.

"Huh?" Din looked up in confusion. 

He was sitting on the bench so that Kiryu wouldn't find him. He had been avoiding his vest friend ever since the latter found out about his crush on Ped. He was too embarrassed to face his best friend after the latter had found his sexuality.

"Priew. That is the name of my boyfriend. Well, my ex-boyfriend"  Kiryu replied with a smile.

"Boyfriend?" Din asked in shock.

Kiryu nodded smilingly. He could sense that Din was distancing himself from him after the day he saw those sketches. He wanted to make Din feel comfortable as he felt before the incident.

"Y- You like boys too?" Din asked again.

"Yes." Kiryu smiled so wide that his dimples were peeking out.

"But you don't look like the kind that would like boys," Din said innocently. His friend was almost six foot two with a well-built physique. He looked nothing like those gay men he had met before.

"Why? I look too manly to be gay?" Kiryu chuckled as he guessed what was going on in his friend's head.

Din nodded softly.

"Your looks don't define your sexuality, silly" Kiryu flicked Din's arm. "And I am not actually gay. I am bisexual. I swing both ways. But I prefer boys over girls."

Din stared at his friend with his mouth open.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kiryu found Din's expression funny.

Din lowered his gaze and asked, "While you were dating a guy, weren't you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that someone will find out that  you are..." Din bit his lips.

It was the nineties and the concept of the queer community was yet to be recognised among the majority of the world population. 

"No. Why would I be afraid? I am not ashamed of my sexuality, Din. You shouldn't be too" Kiryu patted his friend on his shoulder.

Din tsked and turned to the other side.

"What!?" Kiryu was amused by Din's reaction.

"Are you really not afraid?"

"Nope. Not a bit." Kiryu said confidently.

"Then..." Din smiled mischievously "How about you tell my dad that you are into boys today at the dinner table?" he challenged his friend. 

"Okay," Kiryu agreed.

"Huh?"

"Okay. Challenge accepted" Kiryu said nonchalantly.

Din wasn't expecting Kiryu to accept the challenge. He was about to say something when his elder sister came over to call them for dinner.

The two of them quietly followed her to the dinner table.

The whole family was at the circular dinner table. The two teenagers sat in their assigned seats and started eating.

Kiryu cleared his throat mid-way "I have something to tell you all."

Others paused and looked at Kiryu. Kiryu had become an integral family in just a few months. Every member of the family adored him.

Seeing that he had everyone's attention Kiryu spoke "I want to tell you that I am gay that is I like men"

Din was so shocked that the noodles in his mouth slipped back down to the bowl. He was kidding when he challenged Kiryu to come out in front of his parents. 

"Oh? So, are you and Din dating now?" Pakorn asked while slurping his noodles. He didn't show much reaction to the news of Kiryu being gay.

"Ew. No Dad! We are just friends!" Din said immediately.

"What's with the 'Ew'? Kiryu way better than that Thanachart kid" Pakorn said sternly.

Din glared at Kiryu, thinking that the latter was the one who told his father about his head. Kiryu shook his head in denial. He hadn't uttered a word about it to the elder.

"Don't look at him. It wasn't him who told me. I have known about this kid since you were in middle school." Pakorn said while picking up a piece of broccoli from the beef and broccoli dish.

"Me too" Nida chimmmed in.

"Me three" Date said with a huge smile.

Din was gaping like a fish out of water. He had no idea that everyone in his family already knew that he liked Ped.

"Do you think that I wouldn't be able to figure out why my son suddenly agreed to join Crystal Senior High, that too under the science-math scheme after having protested against it?" Pakorn asked.

Din averted his gaze. He couldn't bring himself to look in his father's eyes. He was caught red-handed.

As one of the leading scientists in the country, Pakorn received many benefits. One of them was the chance to have his children attend Crystal Senior High, free of cost. 

The school was a distant dream for children from normal middle-class families. The place was meant for rich people. The fees alone were a colossal amount and not something a mere scientist like him could afford. But because of the benefit given to him by the government, he didn't have to spend a single penny and could let his children attend the school of international standards.

Pakorn was over the moon to hear this. But his daughter was already in university by then. He could only send his son there. 

Back then when Din heard about this, he had thrown a huge tantrum and refused to go to Crystal High as he had heard that the rich kids there would bully poorer students. He was unwilling to study with such students. He was scared of bullies.

One day, he heard from the gossipy students from his school that Ped would be attending Crystal High. Ped was very popular among all the students despite being in a different school.

Ped was the sole reason why Din agreed to join the school and take up the science-math scheme even though he was bad at every subject of the scheme. If not for Kiryu teaching him every evening he would have embarrassed himself in front of Ped by failing the class.

"Why are you silent now? Got nothing to say?" Pakorn asked.

"Ped is not bad, Dad" Din muttered.

"I didn't say that he is bad. I just said that he is not as smart as Kiryu" Pakorn scoffed.

Din rolled his eyes at his father's comment. Kiryu was the apple of his father's eye. The latter never let go of any opportunity to praise Kiryu.

As much as he found his father's statement irritating, he knew that his father was telling the truth.

By the time Kiryu arrived at their place, the school had already started and admissions were closed. It was under Pakorn's special recommendation that the school even considered Kiryu.

Kiryu however couldn't avail the benefits under Pakorn as he wasn't his biological son. He had to take the entrance exam like any other student who would want to join that school.

As he took the exam, he not only aced it but also scored a total of twenty-seven marks more than Ped who held the record of being the highest scorer in the history of Crystal High. This earned him various scholarships and stipends.

"Din is not my type, Khun Korn." Kiryu glanced at his friend next to him. "I like cute boys."

"I am cute!" Din said defensively.

Kiryu looked at him up and down with disdain. Din got worked up at the mocking gaze and kicked his friend under the table. Kiryu ceremoniously returned the kick.

The adults concentrated back on their food, completely ignoring the bickering teenagers.