The lab smelled sharply of chemicals, the tang of formaldehyde mingling with the sterile scent of dissecting tools. The teacher's voice echoed across the room as he demonstrated how to cut the frog. Most students watched with wide-eyed unease, but in the corner, a boy stood apart, lost in thought. His hands remained steady, his eyes focused on the delicate dissection, yet his mind drifted elsewhere, chasing a memory he couldn't quite remember.
"SIRAPORN! SIRAPORN!" the teacher yelled aggressively, snapping him back. "Hey, pay attention!"
Sira blinked. The teacher was yelling his name, but he barely registered it. His friend nudged him nervously, fear evident in his eyes, not of him, but at the teacher's wrath.
"Look....there," Nat whispered, pointing at the teacher, scratching his head as anxiety set in. Sira followed his fingers slowly, then finally looked at the teacher.
"What were you thinking, huh? Where is your mind?" the teacher asked in a strict manner.
Sira simply looked down. The teacher swung a hand toward the door, voice booming. "Get up and Get out. You are not sitting in my class today!"
Sira didn't flinch. He walked out. His friend also walked out of the class with him, as he was scared of the blood and needed a reason. He followed him reluctantly.
"Wait, what happened? Why are you out?" Sira asked Nat, confusion written across his face.
"No, first you tell me what happened?" Nat asked in a worried tone.
"Nothing... I was just too focused on the frog." Sira muttered slowly. "It reminded me of something, but I can't remember what exactly I am trying to remember. It's just stuck right here." He tapped his throat lightly.
Nat grinned, "I knew it was empty."
"Huh?" Sira frowned. "Your head?" "I thought there was something, but I guess I am wrong." Nat again grinned.
While both of them were talking, two of them moved down the corridor with their hand raised, across their class, trying to look obedient even though they had already been kicked out of the lab. Their quiet punishment suddenly turned into playful chaos as the two began nudging and pushing each other like they always did.
At the same moment, two students passed through them, from the opposite direction.
Sira's eyes drifted toward them and suddenly stopped at one of them.
The tall one among the two caught Sira's eye. Something about him felt strangely familiar. Sira's eyes froze without even realizing it, his mind scrambling to place where he might have seen him before.
Behind him, Nat was still laughing and shoving him playfully. But Sira was momentarily frozen.
THUD!!!!
Nat stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.
"What the.....!?" Nat exclaimed, catching his balance. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Sira. "Just wait, I ..." he muttered to himself.
Sira blinked, still distracted, his gaze lingering in the direction of the tall boy.
Nat followed his line of sight and looked back at him with a crooked grin.
"OHHHHH...." Nat said slowly, nudging Sira's shoulder again. "Do you like him?"
Sira immediately spun toward him, face flushing. "Shut up," he muttered, heat rising faintly in his cheeks.
Nat just laughed, clearly amused at seeing Sira being flustered for the first time. A small smile appeared in his eye, so soft that it could melt anyone.
Nat and Sira shared a glance, and Sira suddenly turned away, trying to avoid his gaze.
Nat had clearly noticed that Sira had stopped in the middle of the corridor. Sira's eyes were glued to the boy.
Sira's eyes remained fixed on the hallway where the two were passing—particularly the tall boy, Tharn. As they moved further down the corridor, Tharn slowed briefly, glancing back at Sira. Their eyes missed each other by a heartbeat.
At the exact moment, Sira looked towards Nat. Their gazes missed each other by a heartbeat.
Nat noticed it and tilted his head slightly, the corner of his mouth lifting in quiet amusement. Sira, however, seemed unaware of the almost that had just slipped away. Sira again looked at him with his soft gaze, and a glimmer caught his eyes.
His expression changed instantly.
A piece of glass was falling from above, straight toward where Tharn was standing.
"Hey—look out! Move!" Sira shouted suddenly.
At that exact moment, Kiet reacted. Grabbing Tharn by the arm, he pulled him back just in time.
Crash!!!!!!!!
The glass hit the ground exactly where Tharn had been standing seconds earlier, shattering loudly across the floor.
For a brief moment, everything felt frozen.
Tharn stood there, stunned. His heart was still racing, his mind struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
Slowly, he turned to look at Kiet, shock still written all over his face.
Then, after a second, his gaze shifted again.
This time it landed on Sira.
Sira was still standing there, his hand slightly raised from when he had shouted the warning.
Realization dawned on Tharn's face.
He pointed toward him slightly before walking over.
"Thank you," Tharn said sincerely when he reached him, his voice still a little breathless. "If you hadn't warned me… I don't even want to think about what could've happened."
He gave a small, grateful smile.
"Really… thank you for looking out." He added softly.
Sira simply gave a faint nod in response.
After a moment, Tharn turned back toward Kiet. As he walked away, he glanced back once more, offering Sira a soft smile before facing forward again.
Then he and Kiet continued down the corridor.
Further down the corridor, Tharn and his friend "KIET" continued to walk. Kiet suddenly grabbed his shoulder, still a little shaken by what had just happened.
"Hey", he said, half laughing as he looked Tharn up and down. "What was that? You were about to die, boy."
Tharn suddenly turned towards him, but his reaction came a second late, as if the words had taken a moment to reach him. His eyes drifted briefly toward the corridor behind Sira before he answered.
"Yeh.... I noticed," he murmured.
But his mind wasn't really on the conversation. The image of the boy who shouted "Look up" kept replaying in his mind. After a few steps, Tharn spoke again, "Do you know that boy?"
"OHHH..." He said softly. "That boy?"
Kiet folded his arms loosely and leaned a little closer to Tharn, lowering his voice as if he was about to share a secret. "I do know him."
Tharn's attention sharpened at that.
"BUT...." Kiet continued dragging the word out while watching Tharn's reaction carefully. "I think you need to treat me to something i guess."
Tharn stopped mid-step, eyebrows raised, a short breath of amusement escaping. "Seriously?"
Kiet shrugged, innocence and mischief tugging at his lips simultaneously. Tharn shook his head faintly, sighing, but nodded.
"Fine," he said softly.
Even as he agreed, his thoughts drifted back to the boy in the corridor, the way he spoke, the way he looked. The moment hadn't been ordinary at all.
The aroma of roasted coffee beans drifted from the campus cafe, mingling with sunlight spilling across the entrance. Tharn and Kiet casually took a spot near the garden bordering the street.
Meanwhile, Tharn approached the counter to order something.
"Can I get an Americano? Two iced, please," he asked.
The barista nodded, and after a few seconds, she placed an Americano on the counter -thinking it was his. Tharn reached for it, and a hand suddenly shot out. "This is mine," Sira said sharply, fingers closing around the glass.
Their eyes met—Sira's a mixture of surprise and frustration, Tharn's flashing with subtle amusement. Something familiar teased at the edges of memory.
Sira tugged the Americano toward himself; Tharn didn't budge. The cup slipped, spilling coffee across the table and floor with a sharp crash. Suddenly, Sira slapped his hand.
The cup spilled.
Both froze. The barista's eyes widened in shock.
"What are you guys doing?! It's a mess!" she exclaimed.
"We're so sorry! I'll pay for it, I'm really sorry!" Tharn said, fumbling for his wallet.
Sira huffed, annoyed, shoving the money into Tharn's chest. "Just take it. I don't need you to pay for my coffee," he muttered, storming back toward his friend.
Tharn chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Such fire," he murmured under his breath, eyes drawn to Sira like a magnet.
He waved at the barista. "One more, same as the one you gave."
Soon, he had three cups. Two were handed to Kiet with a nod. The last, carefully held, was meant for Sira.
Tharn looked at the Americano and then walked towards Sira, with steady, deliberate steps. Every movement carried a quiet purpose, an invisible current tugging between them. The distance between them felt smaller with each step, as if fate itself drew him closer to the one who had unexpectedly grabbed his attention.
For the first time, he felt it clearly—a connection whispering of possibilities, of a life brimming with warmth, hope, and a taste of happiness he hadn't known. Each step forward was more than motion. It was a move toward a future that might change everything.