"Okay, grade 7, I will give you 30 minutes to change your physical education subject. Meet me in the field." the teacher said before leaving the room.
The room was alive with noise and excitement for their favorite subject, but it was the worst for New. He hates it. He hates it so much that the only thing he can think of is to go home. The white skin boy is staring at the window, cursing under his breath for being in this subject again. Let his classmates argue about who will be the first one to change in the changing room or who will be on their team once the soccer games start. New doesn't know how much he sighs just listening to their conversation.
Aside from hating this subject, hates sweating, hates anything with physical activity, and hates wasting time by changing an ugly P.E. uniform the fact that he needs to team up and talk with his classmates since this is a subject that requires you to do so. Of course, he doesn't have any friends here. Half of his class hates his attitude and half is scared of him.
After his classmates left, he stood up. He was the last one who left the room to change his uniform. They arrived at the field on time despite moving so slowly. Seeing their subject teacher holding a soccer ball. He knows he heard that their physical activity today is soccer but he can't help but curse once again as he closes his eyes when he saw his teacher holding a ball.
His body is weak when it comes to sports. He quickly gets tired of such activities since he never trained his body to play. He is always in the house and his room.
"Okay, we need two teams for boys and two teams for girls. Team yourself," the teacher instructed. They began to band together while New remained where he was. He was staring nowhere with a blank face. He didn't even bother to move and join any team but he need to.
Eyes landed on him after he was left in the middle. If only he was in college, he definitely dropped this subject as soon as he saw this in his schedule but he was just a middle school student who barely survive a year.
He can't understand why he needs to suffer like this. Those eyes, he just wanted to dig those up and bury them in the ground.
"New, you can join us." One of his classmates said. Happily welcome New to their team as the other student agreed on it. He didn't respond. Instead, he walked to the opposite team. That made the whole class start to whisper.
"Stop talking class. The boys will play first."
The game started and New barely even ran. He pretended that he was running, but he was just walking fast enough to see that he was moving. All he wants is to get this over with. While running, the ball was passed to him. He did what the other was doing. He was kicking the ball while running toward the goal, but he didn't have any intention of kicking it to the net. He would just eventually pass the ball to his team.
"New! Pass it now!" the boy yelled. He was about to pass it when he saw a familiar figure not far away from them. The girl was clinging to the guy walking towards the building. He can tell by the hair and body who the guy and girl are.
"That whore..." he murmured and kicked the ball toward the two, landing on the boy's head.
It happened so fast that the next thing the boy knew he was groaning on the ground, holding his head. Mild looked surprised and kneeled on the ground to help Tay. All of them saw how the ball landed on that student's head. New ran towards them to get the ball.
"Tay! Oh my, are you okay?" Mild asked. Tay didn't answer and continued to grumble.
"Oh, my bad," he said as the older glared at him, "Damn, it's you," New didn't even bother to act surprised.
"New!" Tay yelled.
"It was really a mistake," New said nonchalantly.
Tay scoffed, of course, he won't believe the boy it was an accident. If anyone here in school, he is the one who knows knew the younger's capable. "You think I believe you?!" Tay raised his voice.
"Maybe it wasn't intentional, Tay" Mild said, doubting if she will believe New or what but she doesn't want to make the younger feel unfair so she tries to balance her side.
"Yeah, don't be mad at your junior, P'Tay. It wasn't my intention," New said. Tay knew that whenever New called him P'Tay, it wasn't serious at all. It obviously mocks him.
"You little brat—"
"Why? Are you saying I intentionally kicked the ball on the back of your head? I've never played soccer in my life. I must be an athlete now," New said.
Sometimes, Tay forgets that they are enemies since they get along some days. He can't be surprised if New pushes him to the edge of the cliff.
New even used their game just to make him look bad.
One time, the young boy asked him something so random when they were at the cafeteria, eating their lunch together. Arm is absent due to an unknown reason, Off has basketball practice, and Mild has a meeting with the student council leaving the two of them.
Before Mild went to their meeting, she handed Tay another sandwich but this time it wasn't a durian flavor. Just a simple ham sandwich with lettuce on it. Mild even apologize that she didn't make New a sandwich. The younger gave her a roll eyes instead. As if he doesn't know that she just wants Tay to taste her sandwich.
Since New was pissed and even more pissed now he is watching the older eating the sandwich Mild gave him. It looks tasty, to be honest, but still, it makes him annoyed. New asked Tay to shout 'This is salty'. Tay questioned him but New brushed it off with 'it's boring'. Still, Tay didn't do it because the food is good and it wasn't salty at all.
But since New is evil of the most, he gave him a laugh before he proceed with his plan. He use his 1 time power on Tay. He said their code name was Polca and that leaves him no choice but to do what New was asking him.
Tay took a deep breath. He placed the sandwich on the edge of the table and shouted at the cafeteria about how salty the sandwich he is eating was. While New is watching him in amusement. Tay doesn't know what to expect after this. As soon as he yelled those words, all he know is New called Mild's name.
Tay was devastated after seeing Mild looking at him with shock and teary eyes. The 60 seconds was not done, so he cannot explain to Mild that he didn't mean to say that. New held his hand and told him he still have 10 seconds left with a smile on his face before he can stand up and follow the girl who walks away after giving them an awkward smile. That definitely hurt her.
He could just smack this kid, he would, but he agreed with this. He looked at New, eating his lunch. He looks happy after he was miserable. He guesses that's what makes him happy. New's smile has an impact on Tay. Maybe because he barely smiles and laughs, that's why when he does, he feels good. Sometimes, his anger sinks in a second.
He tapped New's head. "Keep eating," he said.
He uses his 60 seconds every day. While Tay barely used his. He used his 60 seconds when New was acting like a brat again. He doesn't really have the plan to use it to New for fun, like what the young boy was doing to him. He will use it instead when he needs it.
New is so hard to handle. It's like he instantly had a younger brother.
"Mr. Vihokratana, are you okay?" The subject teacher ran as soon as he got the news that someone had hit the ball. He turned his eyes to the young boy. "Mr. Techaapaikhun, we will talk later. I will just bring Mr. Vihokratana to the clinic," he added.
"I didn't mean it," New said.
"I saw what happened," the teacher commented.
"You weren't even there." New response.
The teacher scoffs, he doesn't have a word to say because it's true. He wasn't looking at them when that happens, "What do we expect of a child like you, raised with a silver spoon? Brat."
"New." Tay saw New's expression change and his fist clenched. He tries to stop him by grabbing his wrist. It's like a Deja Vu for him. This is exactly what he looked like the first time he saw New. It's been a long time since he's seen this New's side—which is why he never wanted to go back.
"You're already taking sides without knowing what really happened!" New raised his voice and glared at his teacher.
"Mr. Techaapaikhun! Watch your attitude!" The subject teacher raised his voice also pointing his finger into his face.
"New please." Tay grabbed New's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "Sir, I'm not really hurt. He is my friend and it's his first time playing soccer. It wasn't his intention to hurt me at all. This is all a misunderstanding," Tay explained.
At this moment, Tay is scared. Not at New or even the teacher. He's scared that New will turn back to the way he used to act. He's scared that he might disappoint Bella. (A/N: sorry but dude)
New shoved Tay's hand away from him and walked away. He went home after their Physical Education subject, not even having finished his three more subjects. He went straight to his room.
"Let's go play basketball," Arm said.
"I'm in. How about you two?" Off asked.
"I will go," Mild answered. They turned their attention to Tay, who was busy putting his things back in the bag. "Tay," Mild called to get the boy's attention when she notice he wasn't listening to them at all.
"Oh, sorry, what is it again?" Tay seems out of himself in the whole class. Mild repeated, "Oh, basketball? Well, I have something to do," he answered.
"No, you don't! Don't lie to yourself, you don't even study," Arm said, forcing his friend to come with them.
Tay scratched the back of his head, hesitating to say what he was up to. "N-New... New needs me."
"He needs you for what?" Mild asked. "What about us? We also need you," she added with a bit of annoyance in her tone.
"No, Mild, we don't," Off said, being cool about it. Mild just looked surprised at Off's response while Arm was nagging about how the taller won't help them convince Tay to come with them but as usual, Off was standing there as if he heard nothing. "Go on, Tay, let's hang out next time." Off added, completely making Arm give up.
Tay immediately went to New's house. He was told by the maid that New had thrown a tantrum earlier. Sometimes, Tay wonders if this is how New was raised or if it has something to do with his relationship with his sister, Bella but he refused to ask anything about it.
Despite not asking, he is curious as to why the younger despises his older sister. He can't seem to pinpoint how can New hate Bella when she is the nicest thing he met. So Tay assumed that it was because they didn't grow up together since Bella studied and live here.
"I'll go upstairs," Tay said. The maid just nodded. When he reached New's room, the tanned boy was hesitant knocking on the door, but in the end, he did.
"New?" he called and then knocked again. "It's me, Tay. Are you there?" No one answered. Tay slowly put his hand on the doorknob, twisting it and carefully opening the door. No one is there.
Tay's heart sank after realizing that New might run away. This is the only place he'd run to when something triggers him but he wasn't there.
"New? New!" he called as he opened all the doors and looked under the bed, but there was no sign of New. "New! New—" He stopped halfway when he saw New on the door with bloody hands.
"P'Tay..." he murmured with surprise in his eyes. He didn't expect the older to be here not in this state of him.
"New!" He quickly grabbed New's hand. It was bleeding. "What happened?!" The older guy started to panic. He quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and put it in his hand to stop the bleeding. Was it that bad that New ended up hurting himself?
"This... I tried to calm myself," he answered.
"W-What?"
"I tried to calm myself. I tried to suppress my anger," he explained that he was so mad earlier that he threw things in the house again but then he realized something. "you don't like that, right? You hate when I act like a brat," he added, he tried to pick up the mess he made and end up hurting himself. He went to the bathroom to wash it but the wound didn't stop from bleeding.
The way he says those words has tears flowing down every word he says, but his eyes remain dry. Tay can't help but hug New.
"Let me hug you for 60 seconds," he said. He felt like crying for New.
"You didn't say the secret code."
♡
After Tay bandaged his wounds, they stayed inside the room. They don't have anything much to do and just watched on TV. New places his head on the older's shoulder same as Tay, their heads overlap each other. While watching, the older talks about some random things New didn't even ask for. Just like how he hates the big clock in New's house in the dining room. He said it's loud when the hands point at number 12. It sounds creepy.
"Anyway, why don't you just cry?" Tay asked while glancing at New's wound.
"Why would I?" New asked back. Here he goes again, being back to his normal self. "I'm not stupid like you."
Tay gasped, "Hey! It's not stupid, okay? I have a soft heart." the older defense. "That being said, I'm proud of you."
New's face lit up a little bit after he heard Tay's words. He said he was not stupid, but this time he might eat his word because he was about to cry. It is a good thing he is good at stopping himself from crying, he is very used to it. He turned his head upward to help his tears go back from where they came from.
"How's that make you proud? Are you my dad?"
"No, I'm more like your brother," he said.
The younger scoffs, "You have a lot of roles, huh? Before, you were my enemy. You said you're my friend. Now you're my brother. What's next? Cousin?"
"I like the sound of friends, to be honest," Tay said. "Frenemy?" he added.
New nodded. "That sounds right. I still don't like you and I like to see you being miserable."
"I know, as long as it's making you happy," he said
"I still don't know why you like Bella." He switched the topics.
"I still don't know why you hate Bella." Tay copied New.
"I can tell you," New said. Tay looked at him. He won't deny that he really wants to know why the younger hates the most precious and kind person he ever met. "But that means I'm opening up to you, and I don't like that."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't want you to pity me. I don't want to give you a reason to be friends with me because you just pity me more than you want to because you truly see what's in me."