HIGH SCHOOL LOVE

CHAPTER 2

Chapter 2: Can I Hold Your Hand Anytime from Now On?

"Let's adjust the seating arrangement. The homeroom teacher clapped their hands and announced the new seating chart.

Thanapon and the chubby boy, Garfield, switched places, making Thanapon Sailub's new deskmate.

Garfield secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Sailub was too intimidating, and he was a bit afraid of him.

Garfield quickly packed up his things and moved, taking both his desk and himself away.

Thanapon moved his desk over, placing it right next to Sailub 's, the edges perfectly aligned.

Thanapon had a faint scent, probably from his body wash, and sitting next to him made the air seem a bit fresher.

During math class, Sailub lay on his desk, sleeping.

Through the gap between his arms, he could just see the surface of his deskmate's desk.

Thanapon was meticulously taking notes. His nails, with that faint hint of pink, moved with the tip of his pen, like spring flowers blooming across the white paper.

Sailub's gaze followed the movement of his fingers.

As if sensing his gaze, Thanapon turned his head slightly, his lowered eyes falling on Sailub's face.

Sailub kept his eyes shut, pretending to be sound asleep.

Thanapon turned back and continued to let his fingers glide across the notebook.

The bell signaling the end of evening self-study rang, as if breaking a seal, and the students burst out laughing and chatting like fish leaping from water.

Thanapon, carrying his backpack, walked of the back of the crowd.

The teaching building was brightly lit, but as he walked further, the lights dimmed.

The yellow street lamps lit up the road one by one, with gaps of darkness between each post of light.

Thanapon's footsteps paused for a moment.

At the corner ahead stood a figure, boldly blocking his way.

This person grabbed Thanapon's wrist and pulled him into the darkness of the corner.

Outside, a few students passed by intermittently, but no one noticed the two figures hidden in the shadows.

"Pon"

Sailub held onto Thanapon's hand, interlocking their fingers tightly, gripping his hand firmly.

In the dim night, his hand appeared less cool in tone, as if covered by a soft, warm yellow filter.

Thanapon raised his eyes and slowly revealed a slight smile.

"Congratulations, you improved by 30 points."

Sailub held his hand, his fingertips gently rubbing the back of Thanapon's hand. "I better make the most of this."

In the depths of the night, countless hours of study were exchanged just for the permission to hold hands.

When the results of the monthly exam were released, Sailub appeared calm on the surface, but inside, he was overjoyed.

He couldn't hear a word of what the teacher was saying on the podium-his mind and eyes were completely focused on Thanapon's pair of hands.

"Does this mean I can hold your hand whenever I want from now on?" Sailub grabbed Thanapon's other hand with his free one, using his pinky to hook around Thanapon's fingers never staying still for a moment.

"Mm." Thanapon responded softly.

Sailub leaned his whole body against Thanapon, burying his head on Thanapon's shoulder, like a large, furry dog. "Then can I get a kiss?"

"No." Thanapon ruffled his fluffy head as if he were petting a dog.

"I'll take it in advance," Sailub said, using his tall, broad-shouldered frame to his advantage while batting his eyes playfully.

Thanapon chuckled and pinched his lips, shaping them into a little duckbill.

But he still mercilessly uttered two words, "No way."

Sailub held Thanapon's hand, bringing it to his lips, and planted a firm kiss in his palm.

Then, he kissed each of Thanapon's fingernails, which were like petals with a faint pink hue.

Thanapon pulled his hand back.

Sailub stuck close to Thanapon, their shoulders touching, arms brushing against each other.

As they walked, their hands occasionally bumped together, and Sailub, finding this quite amusing, lightly used his fingers to hook the back of Thanapon's hand.

"Come over to my place tomorrow," Thanapon said, gently patting his mischievous hand, as if in warning, though it felt more like indulgence. "I'll tutor you."

Sailub almost jumped for joy, his smile bright like sunshine. "Okay!"