Not Even Death

Five Days

Tae kept staring at the picture he'd managed to sneak of Arthit, admiring the older man's happy smile and sparkling eyes. Arthit had come to the tables the night before with a weird expression, but then Tew and Dae had acted all 'couple-y', and it made Arthit laugh. Needless to say, Tew and Dae had been embarrassed.

Tae sighed, turning off his phone screen and slipping it into his pocket. He thought about how Arthit had been talking with Bright, Knot and M before coming to sit next to him. He'd had a serious yet confused expression on his face. Tae didn't know what the four of them talked about, nor did he really want to.

The freshman figured he would just have to spend his last five days loving Arthit from afar.

XXX

Tae followed Dae out of the classroom to go get lunch, not really paying attention to what Dae was chattering about. He noticed Bright standing at the end of the hallway with M, the two of them talking quietly.

"I wonder what P'Bright is doing here," Dae muttered, having also spotted them.

Tae merely shrugged. He wasn't feeling up to talking. Ever since he'd gotten up that morning, his body felt kinda heavy and lethargic. He hoped the hazers wouldn't make them run during the gathering this time. He'd probably pass out.

"Ps," Dae waii-ed the two seniors, eyeing them suspiciously. He glanced back at Tae, concerned when his friend just stared blankly off into space. "Is something wrong?"

"Nah, I just came to check on Tae, and ran into M," Bright said cheerfully, also glancing at Tae. His expression dimmed. He looked at Dae questioningly.

Dae shrugged. How was he supposed to know what was going on with Tae? His friend wasn't talking. "Hasn't said a word since he got here."

M cocked his head. "You okay, Tae?"

Tae blinked. "Hm?"

"Are you okay?"

"Mm...yeah. I'm fine," he murmured, stifling a yawn. "Just tired. Feel kinda sluggish."

Dae shook his head. "You went to sleep late again, didn't you."

"No, I fell asleep shortly after getting into bed this time," Tae defended himself. He rubbed at his eyes, swallowing another yawn.

M and Bright shared a look. This didn't sound good.

XXX

Tae turned even more lethargic as the day went on. He kept falling asleep in his last class, unable to keep his eyes open. Dae kept an eye on him, shaking him awake when the teacher wasn't looking, trying to keep him out of trouble. Tae was grateful, but couldn't stop falling asleep.

He yawned, watching as the others left the classroom. "I wonder why I'm so tired...maybe I need to take some supplements or something?" He scratched at the back of his neck, careful to avoid his scar. It was too sensitive to scratch.

"Yeah, maybe," Dae muttered, knowing full well that wasn't going to help. It had to be the upcoming deadline, affecting his body.

Tae's eyes slid shut again, and he rested his head on his desktop, sighing tiredly. "Just gimme a few seconds, then I'll go to the gathering..."

He was asleep.

Dae looked at him, worried, a little ball of fear slowly growing. If this continued, what was going to happen to Tae?? Was he just going to sleep all the time until the deadline? He blinked back sudden tears, unwilling to consider having to attend classes without his best friend. It was too painful to think about.

Dae checked his watch. Tae only had ten minutes if he wanted to make it in time to the gathering. "Hey," Dae shook his shoulder. "Wake up. You need to leave now for the gathering."