The Universes of Love

Chapter 7.1: {Sun and Sky}: Is it Better this Way?

“Ayan, why were you at the protest?” Akk asked, grabbing Ayan by his hand and turning him around. Turning around, Ayan fixed his gaze right into Akk's eyes.

Between the tension, Akk felt his heart skip a beat with the intense stare. He immediately looked away towards the school's building they were in front of.

“How is it any of your business?” Aye asked, his eyes sharp as if about to dig a hole into Akk. He looked as serious as ever.

“Didn't you say we were best friends?” Akk asked back, suddenly looking back at Ayan with the same sharpness in his eyes. He didn't know from where the sudden boldness came from but it just did. He pushed Ayan by his chest as Ayan stepped back slightly.

“So best friends can't keep any secrets from each other?” Ayan once again shot his question. He really was good at debating, even Akk couldn't disagree with that. Akk didn't know what else to answer anymore.

He stepped back from Ayan and gave him one last look before turning away and mumbling to himself, “I thought we were on good terms.” while walking towards the opposite path.

*Flashback*

Akk entered his classroom. As always, his friends, Kan and Wat were attached to him with a thread but he didn't care about them at all. In fact, who he was waiting for was the shorter man whose seat was right next to his.

“Akk, did you talk to Ayan about the protest?” Kan asked when he noticed Akk staring at the empty seat next to him. Akk shook his head, a look of mixed emotions embroidered on his face.

“Don't you have his number?” Wat asked from beside.

Akk sighed in reply. “I do. But I think I should discuss this with him face to face,” Akk mused.

Kan was about to ask something back to Akk but as always, the teacher came in. Akk's face wore out as he stared at the empty seat next to him. The rumbling sounds of pages turning around him didn't catch his eyes at all. Ayan almost never missed school nor did he ever arrive late and it was really starting to worry Akk.

The protest that happened the other day was way more crowded and crazier than most other times. One of the reasons was Ayan. Ayan had called many out to join the protest. And the jums also had to stop the stream before their protest ended due to the place where they were protesting being a no-recording zone. So if anything happened after the stream ended, behind the screen, Akk and his companions would have no idea.

“Wasuwat, Kanlong, Thuaphu,” The teacher yelled as she closed the attendance book. Akk stared around. He was confused. Confused because Ayan's name came right after Thuaphu then why?... Why did she not ask his name and close the book?

That's how Akk had got to know that something was fishy. Something was wrong that the teachers maybe were aware about, but the prefect club or at least he...wasn't.

After all the classes ended, before Judo class, Akk decided to talk to teacher Waree. He went to the class teacher Waree was in and waited for her class to end. She seemed calm and unbothered.

“Teacher Waree,” Akk mumbled from beside the classroom right when teacher Waree was about to walk out of the classroom.

“What is it, Akk?” Teacher Waree asked, standing her ground while stepping away to let the students come out for judo class. “Aren't you supposed to be at judo class right now?” She asked again. To which, Akk nodded his head respectfully.

“I just wanted to ask you something… about Ayan,” Akk pressed. “He didn't come to school today and you didn't say his name during the attendance.”

“Oh, he..,” She paused, clearing her throat. "already told me he won't be at school today. He's sick perhaps,” Teacher Waree replied, a hint of uncertainty and strangeness in her voice.

Akk nodded, not completely believing that what teacher Waree said to him wasn't just made up on the spot. He had chatted to Ayan till quite late the other night and he seemed fine.

After teacher Waree left, Akk felt a surge of suspicion inside him, as if the teachers didn't want to tell him about something. Peeking through the class of 11th grade slowly, Akk realized that not only Ayan, but the jums were also not at school.

In a minute, from somewhere hidden, came out Kan and Wat who followed Akk and were listening to the whole conversation between Akk and teacher Waree.

* * * * *

“Ayan definitely did something,” Kan almost yelled in the middle of the hallway.

Wat stayed silent, listening to Akk explain. “Or the teachers did something to them,” Akk finished his explanation.

Kan's expression changed every second, slowly turning into pure anger. “Ayan is always causing trouble. If he didn't do anything, the teachers wouldn't have targeted him,” Kan yelled again. He was always hot tempered. He hated when someone interfered in his responsibilities. And then, Aye was almost the only person bringing down his reputation as a prefect.

“But he didn't do anything. He just told the truth,” Akk replied. The more Akk replied and defended Ayan, the angrier Kan grew. He thought Akk was supposed to be on their side but he had thought wrong.

“And he supported the jums and he stood against the teachers, against the books and he argued with the teachers and he's bringing Suppalo’s reputation down,” Kan kept saying, walking a step closer to Akk with each phrase he mumbled. Wat didn't know how to stop them and he stood there, listening.

As Kan walked closer with his accusations on Ayan, Akk kept taking steps back, intimidated. “He didn't support the jums. He supported himself,” He defended Ayan again.

And that made Kan lose his mind before he leaned closer to push Akk further by the chest. “Why the hell are you protecting him, Akk?” He yelled.

Wat immediately rushed between them in an attempt to calm Kan down and hold Akk from falling on the floor. “Kan, let's not fight over this trivial matter. We can talk about this later in a calmer manner,” Wat stopped. Kan looked at Akk with boiling rage and fake hatred. He then turned to look at Wat in disbelief, who was holding him by his arms.

After a long sigh, Kan's angry face pushed out and he calmed down slowly. His expression went back to his resting face but he still refused to look at Akk at all the whole judo class.

Later the day when Akk was back to his house. It had him really questioning himself. Kan was right. Why was he protecting someone like Ayan? Everything Kan said was the truth. He was a troublemaker then why did his immediate instincts decide to protect him like that? Or was he really getting brainwashed by Ayan like teacher Chadok had said?

To Be Continued…..

* * * * *

A/n: Trying to bring some change into Akk's behavior and perspective. Hope it doesn't feel rushed. He'd gotten attached to having Aye always with him and now that he was suddenly absent, it was making him actually realize what was up and that Aye's actions previously weren't totally nonsense and did affect his point of view to things.

Hope you liked this chapter. Vote and comment, if possible. It gives me courage to continue ❤️