"You have something to tell me, don't you?" Tinn calmly asked.
Tinn is the class monitor and also a promising candidate for the school president title. He has been involved in the student council since the first year of high school, so he is used to helping fellow students and clubs, from academics to extracurricular activities.
Although they are classmates, Tinn and Gun rarely talk to each other. It is understandable because their lives are quite different. Tinn is always busy with the council activities and academic contests, while Gun's life revolves solely around music, Chinzhilla, and the music club.
Initially, Tinn was also very vague about what Gun wanted to meet him to say, but after his council last meeting, he has somewhat guessed. According to Kajorn's report, the music club has drastically regressed and virtually fallen asleep in victory since winning the Hot Wave competition last year. Instead of practicing, its members frequently congregate in the club room to eat and drink. This is one of the clubs that they need to consider decreasing its budget or transferring its members to the orchestra club, but it appears that the orchestra club does not want that either. Worst case scenario, the music club will be disbanded.
If Tinn remembers correctly, Gun is the music club's president this year.
So Gun must have come looking for him for this.
Tinn is not a severe person who loves criticizing and pointing out flaws in others, he is willing to cut unnecessary expenses to support any clubs in carrying out their activities. But again and again, Tinn is also a very fair person, he will not help any clubs that have no development but just lazily raise their hand to ask for subsidies from the school.
So Gun, you have to say something really convincing.
Gun gave Tinn an endearing gaze and reached out to grab Tinn's wrist, but Tinn immediately pulled his own hand to avoid Gun's. Right at that moment, Tinn catched a tad of sadness in the other person's eyes.
What was it? Tinn pondered. Was it sadness because the music club is about to be in trouble, was it just him pretending to win Tinn's sympathy, or was it a very ordinary look that Tinn misunderstood and thought too much?
Gun lips were still glistening with a grin, but his eyes were gloomy. He placed his hands on Tinn's shoulders instead. This time Tinn did not dodge it, just frowned slightly.
"You can't talk if you don't touch me?"
"And you're a treasure displayed in a glass cage or something that I'm not allowed to touch, right?" Gun asked back in a dejected tone.
Tinn genuinely did not want to make it difficult for Gun, after all, Gun used to treat him kindly.
Tinn shrugged his shoulders, clearly bored.
"So can you tell me now?"
Gun nodded asserted, looking at him with twinkled eyes.
"Tinn, you have to belie..."
"P'Tinn"
Gun's sentence was interrupted by a voice that came from behind. He turned around, it was a small girl with long hair tied neatly at the back of her neck, and in front of her chest was the badge of the student council.
"P'Tinn, I want to ask more about the clubs' booth at the School's Activities Fair this time."
Never before has such a simple sentence made Gun lose all of the bravery he has gathered to talk to Tinn.
"Is P'Tinn busy right now?"
Gun smiled reluctantly and shook his head to her, he turned to pat Tinn's shoulders lazily.
"Uhm, then you talk to her first. I ... I'll wait."
Soon their school will hold a biennial School's Activities Fair and the student council will take over the management and evaluation of the clubs' booths. Because they do not have a president yet, most of the work is still directed by Tinn and Tiw - the council's seniors. The election of the school president was supposed to take place earlier, but recently it was reported that some students complained that the election of previous years was unfair as the student council members eventually took office. Thus, this year's election will be held on a wider scale and in several rounds in order to assure impartiality.
Tinn told the girl to wait in the council's room and looked at Gun. Tinn could tell that Gun is not good at masking his emotions because he could easily notice Gun's eyes full of helplessness and frustration.
"You've been waiting for me long enough. Besides, I have to discuss a bunch of things with her and it's gonna take a long time too."
No matter how urgent and busy the preparation for School's Activities Fair is, Tinn is still the one who handles everything in order. Furthermore, he also guessed that Gun has been waiting for him here since after school. So there is no reason to make Gun wait any longer.
Gun is now like a soaked cake, he shook his head and attempts to be normal.
"No... Nothing, I suddenly remembered that I have a practice schedule with the music club. I gotta go." He ran away before Tinn could say anything else.
_______
Gun headed to the music club in a depressed mood. Though the smell of grilled-hotpot gently fluttering through the tip of his nose, it could not revive the excitement in Gun.
Por picked him up a piece of pork and said.
"Ai'Gun, what's wrong with you today, where did you just go?"
Gun dully looked at the piece of pork in the bowl until the color of the meat and the bowl were flickering melted together.
Until now he feels even more confused. He has frequented the student council room ever since he started dating Tinn, so he is familiar with all of the members, but that girl has never been a member of the student council in his memory.
In a moment, he suddenly thought that if this was not the past but rather another universe, a universe is very similar to his world but simultaneously very different. The universe that his mother did not get sick, the universe that his senior won the Hot Wave, and is also the universe that Gun and Tinn could not be together. Perhaps in this universe, the two of them are just like two parallel lines, they could only look but could not touch each other at any certain intersection.
But what if THIS really is his past, and Gun's miraculous return to the past has altered a few things. Or maybe Gun's memory of the next year is just a very lengthy dream. What if Gun is trapped in this world for the rest of his life? Regardless of what this world is, he does not want to miss Tinn under any circumstances.
His heart has its own justifications, despite the fact that his head urges him to be logical. Why can't Gun and Tinn be together if neither has a lover in THIS world?
"You guys, I have a crush." Gun boldly declared.
"SHIAA WHATTT?"
Yo dropped his chopsticks in a state of panic, Win nearly choked on the chunk of meat in his neck, and Pat showered Gun with noodle soup.
Only Por was not surprised. He nodded.
"I know it. Finally, you told everyone."
"What? Ai'Por, you know?" Gun exclaimed.
"Oh, we are those who should have been surprised. Ai'Por why do you know that?" Pat threw tissues for Gun to clean his face.
Por puts down his bowl, proudly cocking his face.
"Ai'Gun told me. Because I have experience."
"Experience?" Win raised an eyebrow.
"I mean the experience of reading love novels and being a strategist of love for others."
Now that Gun's turn to be stunned, THIS Gun had someone he likes, so he can not casually pair up himself with Tinn anymore. This is wrong, completely wrong. Gun can not use his "past" feelings to profit his "future" feelings like that.
Looking at him stupidly, Por nudged him slightly and murmured in his ear.
"Are you going to tell everyone about that too?"
"About what?" Gun fidgeted.
"About that person is Ai'Tinn?" Por smiled gorgeously.
"AI'TINNNN??" Pat shouted in astonishment when he ducked under the table and eavesdropped on the two of them talking.
"Ai'Pat scream louder if you want the whole school to know this." Win scolded.
Gun gasped terrified. Yes, he loves Tinn but THIS Gun likes THAT Tinn too?
So to put it simply, the story went from Tinn secretly liking him to him secretly liking Tinn?
Wow, interesting plot.
"You guys", groaned Pat.
"Pull me out of this table, I'm stuck."
So another noisy day of the music club, when the only two things they did for the whole evening practice were finishing the hot pot and busily rescuing Pat.
_______
"Ai'Gun, do you want us to help you chasing Ai'Tinn?" Pat twisted his body after spending an hour under the table.
"You can't even escape a table, how can you help him, Ai'Pat?"
Win put his backpack on his shoulder and closed the door of their club room. He locked it and gave the key to Por.
Gun gave Pat a roll of his eyes.
"Bold of you assume I'm gonna ask you to help that."
"That's right, you just don't spread this news to anyone. It's such a huge help already."
Por put the key with a pot-shaped keychain in his pocket. It is a gift for the 1000th guest at the hot pot restaurant near his house.
"By the way, will we still perform in the park tomorrow?" Yo asked.
While everyone nodded in agreement, Gun made a confused face.
"When did we decide to do that?"
"We've already decided in the class today, you're the only one who did not listen, Ai'Gun." Yo sighed.
Faced with the possibility of budget reduction from the principal's new regulation, Chinzhilla decided to focus on two goals. First, win back the love of their fans and the reputation of the school. The best way is participating in competitions but at the moment there is no music contest at all, so they have to show everyone that their club is still efficiently and energetically active. Well, the second goal is to help Gun chase his crush.
"Ah yes, because the class monitor is not in class today, so your soul follows him into the student council room, right?" Pat playfully teased and received a hit from Gun.
According to Gun's memory, that time they performed at the park in school uniforms and met Tinn. But that was in the case that Tinn already has feelings for him, but for now, such an action would make Tinn loathe him from the start.
"Can we perform somewhere else?"
"Why?" Everyone wondered.
"Because that park is near Tinn's house, I don't want him to see us."
School regulation does not allow students to wear uniforms taking part in outside activities without permission, but it is the only way to let people know who they are. Otherwise no one will recognize they are Chinzhilla from the Music Club.
Pat suddenly blurted out as if he has found something terrible.
"Ai'Gun are you sure you really like Ai'Tinn or are you just pretending to chase him to help our club?"
All of Chinzhilla members widened their eyes in surprise.
"Ai shia Pat, how did you come up with such an idea? Do you think Ai'Gun is such a bad person?" Win swooped in and pretended to strangle Pat.
"But Ai'Gun said he likes Tinn but doesn't want him to see him singing. Isn't it strange?"
"It's true that you has never had a lover, that's because he's shy, right Ai'Gun?" responded Por.
"Oh yeah" Gun answered casually, thinking to himself, I've kissed his lips, what the hell am I shy for.
"Then we're gonna go to a park near Yo's house, it's a bit far but there's nowhere left." Por made a suggestion.
"Okay, that's it. Let's go home."
Chinzhilla gradually separated at the end of the intersection. Waiting until everyone was out of sight, Por pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and called.
"Hello"
_______
"Why did you make me go this way today, trying to kidnap me or something?"
Today was one of the rare days when Tinn had the afternoon off and also did not have work at the student council. Normally Tinn would spend this time going home early and doing more homework. However, today, Tiw asked him to take a detour home, for no reason at all.
"Come on, the weather is beautiful today, what a nice time to walk in the park."
"Isn't there a park near my house? Why do we have to go all the way here?"
"Come on, maybe there's something you like."
The two slowly strolled through the green foliage, with the golden sunshine gently dancing on their shoulders. Tinn felt like his soul was soothed and relaxed after stressful days handling student council work. In the distance came the bustling music of musical instruments, probably of a certain group of young people.
Tiw noticed that Tinn has heard the music and suggested.
"Oh, there's music, let's go check it out."
Tinn slowly followed in Tiw's footsteps, until the image gradually became clearer and the music grew louder little by little, there were schoolboys in uniform playing musical instruments and singing happily.
Tinn saw Gun strumming the strings in his hand and singing smoothly, his eyes were a little panicked when he saw Tinn.
It turned out to be the Chinzhilla band.
Tinn sighed and nudged Tiw.
"You invited me out here just to watch your lover play the keyboard?"
Tiw put his arm around his shoulder, nodded, then shook his head again.
"It's true, but it's also not true. Look, the music club is trying hard too."
"So what?"
Tinn asked, his eyes still glued to the Chinzhilla leader.
There is no denying that Gun has a beautiful voice, and he is even more charming when he performs with all his passion. But wearing a uniform and engaging activity outside school like that is not allowed at all.
Since they were performing, Tinn could only wait for them to finish before he could say anything about the uniform, not because he wants to listen to Gun sing, absolutely not.
"You saw it, and I know your mother will be a judge of the upcoming Folk Music Competition at Tao Ngoi temple, right?"
"Are you going to give them this chance?"
"It's you that should have given them this chance." Tiw corrected.
"What do you think, my mother is a judge, they will lose for sure."
Tinn refused, it is not that he has not thought of this option, but a britpop band like Chinzhilla have inherently struggled competing with other folk bands, and on top of that, his mother is also a judge. Indeed, it just gets tougher and tougher.
"Your mother is definitely busy with many things, not sure if she has time to come as a judge. Moreover, she's the charity chairwoman there, changing judges is as easy as turning a hand." Tiw whispered. "It's up to you whether you want it or not."
"Tinn"
A familiar voice resounded, Gun was now standing in front of Tinn, it seems Chinzhilla has finished performing and received endless applause from the spectators.
Gun stood looking at him with shimmering eyes as if he need coaxing. His eyelashes were curled down like a kitten waiting to be scolded by its owner. Well, now you know to be scared, Tinn thought, unaware that the corners of his lips are slowly pulling up.
"Did you know that wearing school uniforms for other activities are not allowed?" Tinn said that instead of "You sang really well."
"I know." Gun replied in a mournful tone.
Their friends behind Gun looked at the two with sparkling pink eyes as well as their hands and feet seeming to be twisted together into ropes.
"I can give you this 20 baht, don't deduct our club points."
Gun stuffed 20 baht into his hand which made him want to laugh, but he still has to maintain a serious attitude and pulled his hand out.
"Gun, you can't just let the Music Club hang out and sing in the park like this. The list of clubs that need a budget reduction is about to be compiled and submitted to the school council for approval in a week. And I'm telling you, your club is at the top of the list."
Tinn looked at the top of the head of the person who was staring down on the ground, did not want to raise his voice, just spoke softly.
"During that time, if you guys bring achievements to the school, I will consider putting your club on the safe list."
Tinn used both hands holding Gun's cheeks to raise his head, smiling.
"Good luck, Gun."