Unspoken

Chapter 1- Corners

Most rooms have four corners, edges that shape the space. The Senior B-3 classroom had 4 corners that each had their own benefits and drawbacks.
     The front right corner was right next to the door, which was great for getting out of class quickly but you were always right next to the teacher, so it was easy to be called on. The front left corner had the window so you can daydream into the view, but had the same exact issue of being too close to the teacher.
      The back corner near the window was prime real estate. You got the sunlight and view from the window, but had a 4 row buffer of other students between you and the teacher's seeking eyes.
      The other back corner was where you sat if you wanted to be forgotten. The light above it had burnt out sometime previous and the maintenance staff hadn't bothered to repair it as no one ever complained. There was no door, no windows, and if you sat there you were generally ignored by everyone.
      Well, almost everyone.
      Off sat in the coveted back window seat, leaning back in his chair and enjoying the warm rays of sunlight that dappled over him, studiously avoiding the teacher's gaze as he'd definitely not been paying attention to the lesson. His interest had been stolen, as it often was, by the boy sitting in the dark corner opposite him, his back hunched and bespectacled eyes shoved in a book. He was small, very short and small boned but with a nose slightly too large for his face giving him the impression of being a wide eyed bird, his slender fingers shaking slightly as they slid over the pages of his book.
     His name was Gun and Off had never seen him speak more than four words at a time, and even then it had been to answer direct questions only. He didn't participate in any clubs, or seem to have any friends, and just quietly sat by himself and kept to himself. Most of the other guys in class thought he was weird, and didn't bother to try to include him, and for the most part Off was the sort to go with the flow, but he found himself constantly staring at him when no one was looking.
      Off couldn't say he was gay exactly, he hadn't really thought too much about his sexuality for the most part. To be honest women were hot and men were hot and he'd always thought of himself as an equal opportunity sort- so long as your heart was there who cares what parts someone had?
      Despite this laissez-fair attitude towards relationships he never mentioned his obsession with the weird small guy in their class. He'd never even talked to Gun before, and wasn't sure why he drew his eyes whenever he sidled into a room in his oversized school uniform and choppy bowl cut.
       Off figured that he'd probably graduate without ever speaking a word to him, but the fates had another plan.

     "Haha! You're finally stuck with cleaning duty, sucker." Kan, the class clown crowed, clapping Off in the back with a force that made him choke on the water he was drinking. "And right when it's super nice out and we only have a week left of school. Sucks to be you."
       Off shrugged, wiping the water that had spattered out of his mouth off his chin.
       "Whatever. Who am I with?" He asked. "Obviously it's not you since you're so happy about it you asshole."
        "The weirdo." Kan said, gesturing with his thumb behind him to where Gun was hunched into himself eating a rice ball in his corner. He looked up when he heard Kan call him a name, his face flushing red and he looked back down at his food.
      "Dude, that's not cool." Off said under his breath.
      "Whatever dude." Kan said, laughing it off.

The end of school came and the two of them were left alone in the room, Gun wiping down the blackboard while Off swept the floor quietly, keeping his head down the entire time.
"Hey bro." Off called out, turning from the blackboard, leaning against the newly cleaned portion. Gun jumped as though scared, practically dropping the broom.
"Y-yes?" He stuttered out, his fingers gripping the handle of the broom until his knuckles turned white.
"Don't worry, I'm just wondering if you're hungry? I've got some noodle packs in my bag, and was thinking of taking a little break to eat before finishing. Do you want one?" He tried to play it off as a coincidence, but he'd grabbed extra MAMA noodles from the cupboard this morning just so he would have an excuse to talk with Gun. He had no idea what about this kid entranced him but he desperately wanted to know more about him.
"Oh, um, are you sure?" Gun asked, his voice quiet and almost scared.
"Of course man, let's take a break and eat." Off said, opening his school bag and taking out two noodle packets. He held one out for Gun, who tentatively reached out and took it.
The two boys sat on the windowsill, their bodies turned slightly toward each other as they crushed the noodles and sprinkled in the soup powder.
"So man, what do you like to do?" Off asked, shoving a handful of noodles into his mouth. Gun coughed slightly, swallowing his own mouthful.
"I like to draw a lot." He said. "I like comic books."
"That's cool. I'm more into sports myself." Off replied.
"I know, you're the goalie on the soccer team." Gun answered, looking up through his eyelashes at Off.
"I've never seen you at a game."
"Oh, I've never had time to go. But I still know that you play." Gun countered. "You're really popular after all."
"Psh, I'm not that popular." Off said, shoving away the idea with his hand. "What comics do you like?"
"I really like Naruto, and Gundam." Gun said quietly. "I know, it's really lame."
"Nah man, liking something isn't lame, you like what you like, and that's cool." Off replied with a laugh. "It's way lamer to be one of those too cool for enjoying things people." He said with a laugh.
Off reached out, clapping Gun on the shoulder in a friendly show of bonding. Gun jumped slightly, his eyes widening a bit in fear.
"Hey man, hey, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you." Off said soothingly, as though calming a wild animal. His hand drifted down to rest on Gun's elbow. His upper arm was soft and warm, he clearly didn't do much in the way of working out as evidenced by his lack of muscles.
His skin was soft and smooth, and where they touched Off felt something akin to electricity erupting along his fingertips, his heart pounding.
The two stared at each other for a long moment, their eyes meeting, Gun's lips parting slightly as his cheeks flushed red.
"You're really cute, you know that?" Off said quietly, smiling at Gun's shyness.
"I... I've never heard that before." Gun replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. His face flushed a deeper red, and he reached up to stuff more noodles in his mouth, a few crumbs stuck to his bottom lip.
Off reached up, tentatively wiping the crumb from his lip with his thumb.
His lips are so soft. Off though to himself, his thumb resting on the middle of the boy's lip, his eyes tracing the curve of his jawline. He looked up into Gun's eyes, to see the boy staring at him, eyes open, full of some emotion that he couldn't quite place. Was it fear? Excitement? A mix of the two? Something else?
"What...." Gun's voice trailed off, and the two boys just stared at each other.
"You have really nice eyes." Off said, blinking in surprise at what he'd said, but still not removing his hand.
"So do you." Gun replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I... didn't think you ever noticed me."
"I did." Off replied. "You... you catch my attention, and I have no idea why." He leaned closer as though the two of them were magnetic, stopping a hairs breadth away from their lips touching. He could feel Gun's rapid breath on his face, feel the heat coming off of his skin.
A buzz sounded and Gun startled, the moment broken, and he grabbed his phone, an old flip phone model with a scratched back, and flipped it open, reading a text.
"I... I have to go." Gun said, jumping to his feet, grabbing his bag, visibly shaken.
"Wait, we have to finish cleaning." Off said, desperate to keep him close.
"I'm sorry, I'll... I'll do it all myself tomorrow." Gun said, running out of the room, pausing slightly to wistfully look back at Off who sat stunned on the windowsill. "I'm sorry!" He yelled again, racing out of the room.
Off watched him run out through the window, seeing a black car pull up, the door sliding open and Gun pausing, before hanging his head and getting inside. It was a really nice car which surprised Off a little.
Gun's uniform was always threadbare and he had such an old shitty phone and a bad haircut, and cheap shoes, but his family drove this fancy car? His parents must suck.
Or maybe he was like an orphan cousin who was forced to live with rich relatives who resented him like in a lakorn.
I'll have to ask him tomorrow. Off thought to himself getting up to finish the cleaning.

     Off never got to ask him as Gun never returned to school after that. When he graduated, Off resigned himself to never seeing him again, though every so often his mind would travel back to the small boy who sat in the opposite corner, a wistful thought of what might have been, but never would be as he wouldn't meet him again.
      And for six years, he was right.