C.A.P.’s Woes

Niel squints at the parallelogram in question and then opens his eyes as wide as he can. He closes his left eye, staring at the problem with his right one and then vice-versa.

But still it makes absolutely no sense to him.

“Hey, hyung!” he turns in his seat and calls out to C.A.P. who is sitting on the bed, looking through his English homework. “I don’t get this at all.”

C.A.P. puts aside the workbook and comes up to stand beside Niel. He leans forward to look at the question Niel has been struggling with.

“It is a little tricky problem but I taught you algebra all of last month. You will need to apply it here. Look, I’ll show you one. Don’t just think geometry but try to look beyond it if...”

Niel isn’t really focussed anymore. C.A.P.’s face is inches away from his and if he tilts his head a little – even by just a centimetre – he can feel their breaths mingle. He looks at C.A.P.’s eyes, intent on the problems he is explaining, at C.A.P.’s lips, his nose, the little pimple on his cheek that is healing and then at C.A.P.’s lips again.

And then C.A.P. is staring at him.

“Did you understand anything?” he asks Niel, frowning sceptically.

“Uh-huh,” Niel replies, deliberately dubious in his response. “Say, hyung,” he continues before C.A.P. can put in another word. “I was thinking...”

“Yeah?” C.A.P. seems pleased by the prospect of Niel using his grey matter. But not for long –

“You are wrong, you know. Byunghun-hyung really doesn’t give a bat about waiting till he is an adult to do it. So he has no right to decide what I can and cannot do. And even though it is a law, it is just one of those stupid laws that we can ignore, right? I mean I won’t breathe a word about it and you will obviously not tell anyone either, so...”

“Daniel!” C.A.P. groans in frustration. “What the ! Will you please concentrate on Maths here? You at it!”

But Niel has greater issues occupying his brain right now and he placidly ignores the geometry.

“What is the problem, hyung? Don’t you want to do it with me?” he pouts and C.A.P. shakes his head, standing up straight.

“Unless you want your boyfriend to end up in jail and have him listed as a offender, please stop thinking about and start thinking about how you can avoid being the only one in your school’s history to have flunked the sophomore year.”

“But, hyung,” Niel stands up, too, and wraps his arms around his tutor’s neck, “I even know of this couple – freshmen – and they have done it, too, I am sure! I can tell – the way they act around each other, it’s unmistakable. I feel like I am the only around here.” He pouts even harder. C.A.P. gulps visibly, straining away from Niel’s hold but the younger boy has surprising strength despite his slim build. “And I hate that, hyung.”

“Your ity is precious, Niel...”

“And I want you to have it.”

Niel locks gazes with C.A.P. as he says it, determined, aggressive, and C.A.P. finally gives in, pulls Niel closer and kisses him in reply. Their tongues are soon tasting each other in an open-mouthed kiss and Niel backs him into the bed so that