Ping's class was dismissed earlier than expected.
A free period.
The word alone brought him a small sense of relief. While some of his classmates cheered and planned where to go , ping quietly packed his things and slipped out of the classroom. He already knew where he wanted to be .
Somewhere quiet.
He walked past rows of classrooms, his footsteps light, his mind already drifting toward the familiar calm of the old pavilion — a slightly hidden spot behind the main building, shaded by trees and often forgotten by most students.
As he passed by one of the final year classrooms, he didn't notice the pair of eyes that followed him
Keng did
Ping moved differently from everyone else — unhurried, careful, like he was always trying not to disturb the world around him. Keng frowned slightly, curiosity tugging at him.
Where is he going?
The bell hasn't rung yet. A teacher was still in the room. Keng leaned back in his seat, forcing himself to wait, eyes flicking briefly toward the door ping had disappeared through.
Patiently he waited.
When his own free period finally came, keng stood up immediately.
He didn't know why he was doing this.
Only that he wanted to.
"Oi, keng!"
Keng turned around to see three familiar faces standing near the stairs .
" Basketball court," one of them said, spinning the ball in his hand.
" We're short one player."
Keng glanced at the court , then at the hall way leading toward the back of the school.
"Not today," he replied.
His friends blinked.
"Since when ?" another asked," you never skip".
Keng slung his bag over his shoulder.
"I've got somewhere to be."
"Where?" One of them asked, confused.
Keng paused, then shook his head lightly. " Just... Somewhere".
Before they could say anything else , he walked off.
The three boys stared after him.
"Did he just turn down basketball?"
".."
"Yeah".
" That's new."
The old pavilion was quiet, just as ping hoped it would be. He sat on the wooden bench, placing his bag beside him, letting the soft sounds of nature replace the noise of school. Leaves rustled gently. Somewhere, birds chirped lazily.
He adjusted his glasses and exhaled .
Then —
"Ping".
His heart jumped.
Ping looked up too quickly,breath catching in his throat.
Keng stood a short distance away, hands in his pockets, expression calm but unreadable. The sudden appearance made ping's mind spiral.
Why is he here?
Did I do something wrong?
Why would a senior look for me?
"O-oh----hia," ping said quietly, standing up before he even realized he was doing it.
Keng blinked, then smiled faintly.
"You don't have to stand".
Ping sat back down immediately, embarrassed, fingers curling against his notebook.
An awkward silence followed.
Keng broke it by sitting beside him – not too close, but close enough for ping to notice,very close.
Ping's thoughts scrambled.
His shoulders tensed. His breathing went shallow. He adjusted his glasses again, a nervous habit he couldn't stop.
Keng noticed everything.
"You came here to avoid the noise?"
Keng asked softly.
Ping hesitated,then nodded,
"I..... don't really like crowded places,"
"Yeah", keng replied, voice calm. "I figured".
That surprised ping .
"You did ?"
Keng shrugged lightly. "You always look more comfortable when it's quiet".
Ping didn't know what to say to that
No one has ever paid attention like that before.
The silence returned — but this time , it wasn't uncomfortable.
They sat side by side , listening to the breeze , sharing the quiet without trying to fill it. Ping's heartbeat slowly steadied . The tension in his shoulders eased, just a little.
It was strange.
Being alone felt safe.
But being here — like this — felt... different.
Ping glanced at keng, just once.
Keng was already looking at him.
Their eyes met
Ping looked away immediately, cheeks warm,heart racing.
Keng smiled to himself.
Quiet conversations didn't need many words, sometimes,just sitting together was enough.
The bell rang faintly in the distance, muffled by the trees.
Ping stiffened.
Reality slowly crept back in.
"I.... I should probably go", he said, voice barely above a whisper .
Keng turned toward him. "Your next class?"
Ping nodded."yes".
For a moment, neither of them moved , keng stood up first, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "I'll walk you back ".
Ping's head snapped up. "you don't have to _".
"I know", keng replied gently.
"But I want to".
That single sentence made ping's chest feel tight.
They walked side by side through the quiet pathway, steps naturally falling into the same rhythm . No one spoke, yet the silence felt different now – lighter , almost comfortable.
As they reached the building, students began to appear, laughter and chatter slowly filling the air again.
Ping slowed.
Keng noticed,"crowds again?"
Ping nodded,fingers curling nervously
Keng stopped walking.
"You can take your time," he said softly . "No one's rushing you ".
Ping looked a him, surprised.
"..... Thank you " he murmured .
Keng smiled – not the charming smile everyone knew , but something softer . Something real.
Before parting ways, keng spoke again.
'if you ever need somewhere quiet" he said,"the old pavilion is a good choice".
Ping hesitated,then nodded "I like it there".
Keng paused , then added,"me too ".
That was new .
Keng gave ping a pat on his head,
Ping,"..."
Ping watched as keng walked away , heart beating strangely fast .
For the first time, the quiet didn't feel lonely.
It felt shared.
Extra:
Ping stepped out of the bathroom,his hair still dripping, when he suddenly froze in place . His wide eyes practically screamed,"Nooooo....." And then it hit him– the horror, the ultimate cringe:he had just called keng "Hia"
He whirled around, pressing both hands to his face as if he could erase the moment from existence. How could he call him "Hia"?! They weren't even close! Ping's cheeks burned hotter than the shower he'd just escaped.
Somewhere deep down, a tiny part of him whispered: keng probably heard ... and he's definitely judging me...