Yukhei left the teacher’s lounge emotionally drained, his teacher reprimanded him again for his worsening grades and warned him that he might not be able to get into his last year and would have to retake the current school year. Yukhei couldn’t even explain to himself what was going on with him, he just wasn’t as up to par with his studies as he used to be. Walking the hallways, the sun filtering through the windows had an orange glow and was slowing starting to set. The wind grazing his skin from the open windows was almost as warm as the air surrounding him and he felt like suffocating from the humidity and dense air. He felt sweat rolling down his temple in a quick roll and he wiped it away with the back of his hand before it reached his cheekbone. The cicadas felt louder and more than usual outside the window and Yukhei felt a headache developing. The hair in his nape stood out and was just as wet as his forehead felt. The weather was disgusting and so did he feel as well. He hooked a finger into the knot of his tie and loosened it even more to the point it became undone and he popped the first two buttons of his shirt. No teacher was walking the hallways anymore, so no-one would call him out for it anyway. Skipping up the stairs, he waltzes over to his classroom. He just wanted to pick up his book bag and off and eat ice cream in front of his fan at home.

Grabbing the handle of the sliding door, he slid it open with force and he heard something drop followed by a string of curses. His eyes went wide, and he rushed into the classroom to find the exchange student standing on a chair at the shelf with his hands on his hip. The student was grumbling about what a stupid Yukhei was for being so reckless and he flipped him off. Chittaphon, or Ten as he was also called because it was easier to remember for the other students, had dropped a plant pot out of shock when Yukhei had slammed open the door. Yukhei rushed over to him after he grabbed the broom and instructed him to stay on the chair, that he would clean the mess since he was responsible for it. Ten didn’t object and continued cleaning the shelf. Yukhei promised that he would tell the teacher that it was his mistake before he realised what was wrong. He inquired on Ten why he was still at school when he was supposed to be home already, like everyone else. Ten gave the question back but Yukhei wouldn’t tell him. Ten, in return, was there because of detention, because he had objected to a teacher and corrected him on a topic and that seemed to have badly damaged the self-esteem of said teacher.

Despite the heat that made him sluggish, Yukhei was easily distracted by a sliver of skin that shyly peeked towards him from underneath Ten’s dress shirt. Another drop of sweat rolled down his back, uncomfortably so. Coincidentally, the latter was about how ty the uniforms were tailored in this country and pulled the betraying cloth down and back into his pants. Yukhei who leaned against a table heaved himself on it and watched the exchange student doing his job. Ten turned around and with the hand holding the damp cloth in his hand, he pointed towards somewhere in the classroom, asking Yukhei if he could get him something. But instead, he stepped up towards Ten and circled his arms around his thighs and lifted him up. Ten dropped the cloth and he held himself upright on Yukhei’s shoulders, eyes wide but he didn’t say anything for the moment. He muttered that Yukhei should let him down, they are still in school and someone could see them. But he didn’t say someone could get the wrong idea. Yukhei set him down on the desk next to him and just looked down on Ten, cradling the side of his face in his hand that could easily engulf the other’s hand by the sheer size difference. Ten held onto his wrist and his hands felt like a welcoming cold distraction to his sweaty skin and he took Ten’s other hand in his and led it to the side of his neck. Ten looked with a bewildered expression up to him before he smiled softly and retreated his hands and giggled out Yukhei’s name in a breathy whisper, asking him what he was doing and why he was acting so weird. The setting sun from outside illuminated Ten’s profile in an orange glow and a warm gust of wind from the window plays with his hair that makes his fringe fall into his eyes. Yukhei brushed the hair out of Ten’s face.

Yukhei, in all earnestness, asked Ten if he could kiss him, calling him by his real name. Ten was of course taken aback and hesitating to give an answer. His hands gripped onto the fabric of Yukhei’s uniform and he nodded, mumbling a confirmation that he could. Yukhei gave him a blinding smile and leant closer to him. It was silent in the room; the cicadas chirping was ear-deafening in the silence, and it felt as if the temperature rose even more. Yukhei pulled back, still smiling and breathing out in gratitude. Ten’s facial expression was unreadable, but he didn’t seem disgusted, more wondering. He pulled Ten off the table and grasped his hand, picking up his backpack. Ten, still dazed, asked where he thought he was going and Yukhei answered him that he would take him home; the school was over after all. They walked side by side, both deep in thought until they had to part where Yukhei waved him good-bye.

The next day, Ten was afraid of possible retaliation, because he just went with it. He didn’t know if Yukhei had played with him, wanted to expose him for something he just went with, because Yukhei asked and he was curious himself. But he hadn’t felt anything. When he entered the room, he ignored mostly anything and just went up to his desk, placing his backpack on the ground and sat down, resting his head on his arms, looking outside the window. It was just as humid in the morning as it was the afternoon the day before when Yukhei had kissed him. He felt a hand carding through his hair, and he looked up. Yukhei was caressing the top of his head and smiled softly at him, before turning back to his friend he was talking to and retreated his hand and sat down in the seat in front of Ten. The school day went by like every other day and the heat got even more unbearable than the day before, yet Yukhei treated him the same, maybe even giving him more attention than usual. Ten had to stay after school again because he had to explain the broken pot, but Yukhei had stayed back in the room as well, packing his backpack with an agonising slowness that hurt Ten to watch. He spoke up, saying it was due to him because he scared Ten when he was cleaning up. Yukhei did take him back home again that day, the sweat rolling down his nape glistening in the sun and Ten had to shield his eyes, when he had to look against the sun, to look at Yukhei.

Ten didn’t register at first that Yukhei asked him if he had felt anything during the kiss, but only after the second time around, he was able to answer. Abashed and truthfully, he denied. But he also hadn’t felt anything when he kissed a girl twice. He apologised, saying that maybe something was weird with him, but Yukhei just shook his head, smiling widely. He hadn’t felt anything as well, but he was thankful that Ten let him try it and explore it. He added that Ten shouldn’t feel weird just because he was unresponsive and he hugged him, promising to invite him for dinner after the exams and parted ways with him, enthusiastically waving him, before he went down the street opposite Ten’s. A drop of sweat plunged from the tip of his nose down on the ground. Summer in the countryside was like hell, but it took an interesting turn for once.