A Little Ray of Sunshine

Ch. 6-Seeing Him Again

Team got ready to go to school and checked himself in the mirror for the last time before leaving the room. He looked like a panda with the area around his eyes puffy and dark. Team was emotionally drained from all the things from the day before. He never thought that he would see the weak side of Win and the thought that he couldn't do anything to make the boy feel better was driving him crazy, keeping him awake at night. "Team, what are you doing there?" he heard his mother call from the living room. Team let out a big sigh and then, taking the school bag placed near the dressing table, he left the room.

As he walked towards the building with the swimming pool, Team's eyes wandered towards the school auditorium. Will he be there today too? Team thought. "Somebody go and bring the whistles and goggles," Dean said as they were to enter the pool. Nobody responded for a while and suddenly Team raised his right hand, "I'll go," he said. "Are you not feeling well? Do you want to rest? You look pale," Dean said in a concerned tone as he handed over the storeroom keys to Team. "No, I'm alright," Team replied before turning and rushing towards the door. Team climbed the stairs to the rooftop as fast as he could. By the time he reached the rooftop, the boy was trying hard to catch his breath. After a few seconds, when his breathing became normal, Team took slow steps towards the back of the storeroom. But, there was no one there. May be he's okay now, Team thought, as he walked back to the storeroom to take the swimming items.

Soon, Team got busy with his practice sessions as the competitions neared. He never got to see Win after that day. Sometimes, when he had nothing much to do, Team's thoughts went back to the day he saw Win crying and then, he would feel the urge to go and see if he's really okay. He was having the same thoughts today. He was again going to push back the thought in his mind when he heard Pharm clear his throat. Team looked at his friend confused, seeing him smile and his face red like a tomato. "What?" Team asked. "Team, will you come with me to go to P'Dean's class? If I go alone, they'll make fun of me," Pharm requested. Suddenly Team felt a bunch of happy fireworks burst in his mind, but was careful not to show it on his face. "Okay, but don't go on being lovey dovey for hours. You shouldn't forget this poor single soul when you meet your P'Dean," Team teased to which Pharm shyly nodded his head.
"What is in this?" Team asked, pointing at the lunch box as both of them climbed the stairs. "P'Dean couldn't have breakfast today. He had to come early for the competition arrangements. So I made sandwiches for him," Pharm said, as he smiled coyly, his cheeks turning red. It has been almost three years since the two started dating. But, Pharm was still too shy and blushed whenever Dean was mentioned and the President, on the other hand, pampered his boyfriend like a baby all the time. "Oh, Pharm, you are really turning into P'Dean's wife," Team teased, putting his right hand around the shorter one's shoulder, to which the boy's face turned a deeper shade of red.

As Pharm and Dean stood in the corridor lost in their own world, Team felt like a third wheel. He chose to move away from the lovebirds and walked towards the seniors' classroom. His eyes wandered around the classroom, looking for the certain someone. Suddenly he felt someone touch his shoulder, leaving Team startled. He turned to see Prem and next to him was the person he was searching for. "What are you doing here?" Prem asked, his eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "I..I came with Pharm. He wanted to meet P' Dean," Team stammered, his gaze shifting from Prem to Win, and then back to Prem when he felt his P' didn't look convinced. "Prem, can you come here for a second?" May's voice interrupted them before Prem opened his mouth to say something to Team. "Coming baby," Prem replied in a sweet tone before pushing Team to the side and going in. Team rolled his eyes and shook his head looking at his P', who was turning the girl in front of him into a mush, with his words and gestures.

He turned back and suddenly felt his heart being stuck in his throat for a second when he felt the piercing gaze of the blonde-haired boy in front of him. He had forgotten his purpose of visit when Prem was questioning him few minutes before. Win looked fine, except for those tired eyes. For the first time, Team took courage in looking into those brown orbs directly and tried to read what the senior was thinking. But he couldn't decipher anything beyond that cold stare. The Win in front of him looked like a totally different person from what he saw the other day; his ice prince demeanour was back. If he were to tell anybody that Win had an emotional side, Team was sure no one would believe him. His trance was broken by the ring of the school bell marking the beginning of the first period. "I'm leaving," Team mumbled as he walked hastily towards Pharm, while trying his best to fight the urge to look back and to calm down his heart that has been beating like crazy. Team felt relieved, and his mood was much better than in the morning as he walked towards his classroom, with his arm wrapped around Pharm's shoulders.

It was the day of the competition. Team was dressed in a pair of black swimming trunks and goggles and took his position before the track assigned to him, along with his competitors. While other participants were a nervous wreck, Team didn't feel anything in particular. After all, he wasn't doing this for his happiness. As the whistle went off, Team jumped into the pool and his body being used to it for the past 8 years, automatically moved forward, with each of his strokes speeding up with time. He pushed his legs against the wall of the pool and swam back, not caring about where his competitors were.

Team had been thinking a lot lately, and most of his thoughts were about Win. He wasn't sure as to what to do at this point. He didn't even know if Win liked boys. And even if he did, Team didn't know how to approach him. He felt that Win is too perfect for him. But that didn't stop him from passing by the senior's classroom or the music room to get a glance of his crush, every time he got a chance. Last week had been hectic for Win with the practice sessions and school work, he didn't get to see Win, and to his surprise, he was feeling grumpy.

The loud applauses as he emerged from the pool brought Team back from his fantasy land. He was soon surrounded by the members of his swimming club, and friends, Prem, Pharm, and Manow, who were patting his shoulders and congratulating him. After the crowd dispersed, Team walked towards the changing room, wrapping a towel around his body. The fact that he won the competition had little effect on him. He was still grumpy.

Suddenly, something caught his eye and Team stopped walking to confirm what he saw. In one of the red chairs meant for the spectators, sat the person he so wanted to see every day. Team scrunched his eyes to adjust the light coming from the windows, and to get a better glance. He was really there. Win was wearing an oversized navy blue jacket over his uniform with its hood covering his head and majority of his face, and sat on the far left corner, where no one could notice him. But the strands of the blond hair that popped out of the hood gave him away. Win was looking around, may be hoping that he wouldn't be noticed. Team wasn't sure why Win would be there. Maybe he wanted to watch the competition in peace without his fans noticing him and creating a ruckus, he thought. Whatever the reason was, Team suddenly felt his mood getting better. Not wanting Win to notice him, he lowered his gaze and continued his stride with a huge smile on his face and his heart doing a flip out of happiness. At that moment, Team realised that his crush was growing bigger, into something that he was experiencing for the first time in his life. He was in love.