HIS BOY

CHAPTER 11

FIRST’S POV

Classes felt longer than usual today.
Ja kept tapping his pen on the desk, clearly distracted, while I found myself glancing toward Rain’s seat every few minutes. He hadn’t said a word since morning — not even when Sky whispered something to him that made a few students giggle behind their hands.

I didn’t like it.
None of it.

When the bell rang, Ja leaned closer. “I’ll talk to Pai,” he said quietly. “We need to know what’s going on.”

“Be careful,” I said. “Sky doesn’t seem like the kind of person who likes people prying.”

He smirked. “Good thing I’m not ‘people.’”

Before I could reply, he was already out of his seat.

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PAI’S POV

I spotted Rain and Sky near the lockers again. Sky had one arm against the wall, leaning close — too close.
Rain looked uncomfortable, his eyes darting toward the floor.

“Sky, let’s go,” I called, trying to sound casual.
He looked at me, that same easy smile on his face. “We’re just talking, Pai.”

“Yeah?” I said, walking closer. “Looked more like cornering.”

Rain immediately stepped away, clutching his bag tighter. “I-I’ll see you later,” he mumbled before hurrying off down the hall.

Sky turned to me, still smiling, but his eyes had a sharp edge. “You shouldn’t interrupt when two people are having a conversation.”

“Conversation,” I repeated flatly. “Right. I’ll remember that next time you make someone flinch.”

His smile widened, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Careful, Pai. You might start sounding like you care.”

I didn’t answer. I just watched him walk away, that smile still plastered on his face.
Something was definitely wrong here.

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JA’S POV

When Pai told me what happened, I saw red.
I was ready to march down that hallway and knock that smug look off Sky’s face, but First caught my wrist before I got too far.

“Don’t,” he said firmly. “If you lose your temper, you’ll make it worse.”

I gritted my teeth. “He’s playing with Rain, First. You didn’t see it—”

“I don’t need to,” he said quietly. “I trust you. But we can’t protect him if we don’t know what’s going on. We need proof.”

I exhaled slowly. He was right. He always was.

“Then we watch,” I said finally. “If Sky’s up to something, we’ll find out.”

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RAIN’S POV

The rest of the day passed in a blur.
My head felt heavy — like it was full of voices I couldn’t quiet down. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw that image again: Phayu, his arms around someone else.
It shouldn’t hurt this much.

Sky caught up with me at the gate before I could leave.
“Heading home?” he asked, his tone light.

“Yeah,” I said quietly.

“I’ll walk with you.”

I wanted to say no. But the words didn’t come out. I just nodded, and we walked in silence.

When we reached the corner where we usually split ways, he smiled faintly. “You shouldn’t let people make you feel small, Rain.”

I froze. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing.” His smile sharpened, just a little. “See you tomorrow.”

And then he left, leaving me standing there with the strangest feeling in my chest — like something invisible had started wrapping around me, tightening just enough for me to notice.

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