Roommates - Not in Bangkok anymore [completed]

Chapter 9

Can's POV

Right about now, Can definitely wished someone would explain Tin to him.

As happy as he was about the fact that his roommate had finally suggested they did something together – he wondered what the reason for this abrupt change in attitude was... and how long it would last.

Sure, he had defended Tin against Maria and contrary to what he had told him it hadn't been mainly for himself, but it wasn't a big deal, was it? Can had simply felt the change in the atmosphere at that moment so acutely that he couldn't just leave it be. It had been obvious that Tin was deeply hurt and shocked by Maria's remark and that whatever that incident was, it was clearly not something to joke about.

In Can's mind, asking for an apology after someone had so plainly overstepped was just common curtesy. Everyone would have done the same if they noticed what he had noticed, he believed.

They hadn't talked much on their way through the park, just enjoying the sunshine of what was going to be a beautiful autumn day. Can had never seen colourful trees like that, standing out brightly against the impossibly green pastures behind them, no cloud in the sky at all.

In the distance, Can could even see horses running around in the school's paddock.

It was still hard to believe that he now attended a school that had its own stable with horses. One where the majority of students thought it was completely normal that everyone knew how to ride on horseback... the good start he had had would probably not last, once they found out just how incompetent he was in all their favourite pastimes.

He didn't want to think about that too much.

"Can we visit the horses on our way back?"

"We can go now if you want."

Tin sounded so different all of a sudden that Can didn't know how to deal with him.

"But..."

He stopped walking and tried to find clues in Tin's face on his intentions. But his face looked inscrutable as ever, like a mask he put on each morning that never slipped.

"It's on the other side of the grounds," Can argued, "we would have to go back and walk the other way..."

Can believed to detect a hint of a smile on Tin's face. Not a sneer or an ironic half-grin, but an actual smile.

Almost.

"Didn't you say this was probably your only Sunday off? We have time. The boardwalk doesn't offer enough entertainment for an entire day and it's not even lunchtime."

Yeah, definitely strange.

Up until maybe an hour ago, Tin had barely said a friendly word to him – and now he seemed keen to mend things. Not that Can objected.

It was just... something he hadn't even hoped for anymore.

"Why are you suddenly being nice to me?"

Tin seemed to debate something in his head before he answered. Almost as if he didn't know the answer himself.

"Like I said..." he turned towards Can and there was another attempt at a smile, this time more controlled, more like it was part of his mask-face, "I think we've started off on the wrong foot. You were right, you won't go anywhere and you won't change rooms, we need to get along somehow."

Can had no problem smiling genuinely upon hearing this. Even though he only half believed this explanation – he wasn't one to question people unnecessarily.