Love You Teacher

Chapter 14. 

The calendar hanging on the gym's metal pole indicated Thursday, the day exhaustion reached its peak. Pobmek lay sprawled on the cool, dark blue rubber floor of the gym, his head resting on Solar's lap. Tension throbbed in his brain like a small volcanic eruption. The slightest touch of relaxation from Solar's fingertips massaging his temples was like a temporary numbing force.

"You... I'm tired. I can't handle this anymore."

"Oh my, will there ever be a day when you don't complain?" Solar moved his hand from Pobmek’s hair and slowly lifted it to sniff, his face showing a slight bewilderment.

"What happened to your head? You smell strange."

"Just use dishwashing liquid to wash your hair!" Pobmek lifted his head, his eyes...He was so exhausted, like a flickering light about to go out.

"That Sun is useless. You told me to watch from a distance, and I think I did. No."

Just then, Solar's cell phone rang. The loud ringtone and a fast-paced pop song startled Pobmek so much that he almost jumped. Solar picked up the phone and answered the call.

"Hey! Pay attention to me first!"

"Hold on, Aurora's mom is calling."

Solar got up and went to stand in the corner of the room to make a phone call. Meanwhile, Mek slumped his head back down onto the rubber floor. He was so frustrated that the heavy feeling was like concrete poured over him, pressing him against the gym floor.

Just then, a loud crashing sound, like a trash can being kicked over, came from behind the stage. Pobmek turned around warily. He saw Jee standing amid a clutter of props in front of the backdrop. The scene depicted an oversized forest, a cottage, and a castle, against a pitch-black background. Jee was tackling a pile of brown jute rope bound together with hot glue on popsicle sticks. It looked bizarre, like a spiderweb created by a mad engineer.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Jee’s face was beaming with a wide smile that stretched to his ears, and his eyes sparkled like a diamond in the darkness.

"Look at this."

With careful pulling of one string, the mechanism above activates, and a number of yellow and brown faux leaves fall down gracefully, like a slow ballet performance. Pulling another string releases a cascade of golden star-shaped confetti, proudly displaying its creation with an inflated pose.

"How's that? Cool, right?"

"Oh, can you please make the scene simpler and help me look after the kids instead?"

"Great, but let me finish the scene first. Just give me 4 minutes!"

"4 hours?"

"4 days!"

Jee happily turned back to immerse himself in his pile of ropes.  Mek, however, felt so frustrated that he felt like he was being squeezed into a crumpled sheet of paper. Solar, having finished his phone call, walked back in, his face now showing worry, a clear reflection in his eyes like that of a massive storm cloud brewing.

"Hey, Aurora's mom said she's sick and needs to take a sick day." Pobmek immediately sat up, a wave of shock coursing through his body like an electric shock.

"There it is. It must be related to the trouble Sun caused yesterday."

"Gaat" is so interconnected. What time are we supposed to meet?" Solar sighed slowly. The sigh was soft and heavy.

"Hey, if Aurora doesn't come tomorrow, I'm going to visit her house."

"Huh? Wait a minute, but aren't you going to wake up as Sun tomorrow?" Solar fell silent. He rested his right hand on his chin and tapped his left temple lightly and repeatedly. A multitude of thoughts swirled in his head like a labyrinth of mirrors. Finding a way out seemed like searching for a small key in a dark room filled with objects. Then, his eyes lit up slightly as a plan came to him.

A profound silence enveloped the condo's living room at this late hour. Only the soft click of a pen on paper and the faint yellow light from the desk lamp illuminated the student's homework notebook. Solar sat upright at the dining table, his eyes fixed on A pile of books that stood as high as a small mountain. Around his eyes, traces of weariness appeared as dark, ink-like shadows seeping from exhaustion.

Pobmek walked slowly into the room, holding a white coffee cup with steam still rising from it. The rich aroma of coffee wafted through the air, like a soothing balm that Mem had carefully brewed to help Solar stay alert.

"Solar...are you really not going to sleep? Are you sure you can handle this?"

"Yeah, I'm fine... I'm just worried about Aurora." Solar looked up, meeting Pobmek’s gaze for a moment. His eyes gleamed with a fierce determination, like a candle flame battling the wind. "It's just one night. It'll be alright."

"Hmm... okay... then I'll sleep with you," Pobmek slowly sat down beside Solar, who was still engrossed in work as if a shield of unwavering dedication had enveloped him. 

Silence fell over the atmosphere once again, a gentle and familiar silence. He watched as Solar continued checking and writing until his patience silently ran out.

Pobmek moved closer, leaning down to gently kiss Solar's left cheek. The first kiss was just a light touch of dew on his skin. Then, he moved to his right cheek, slowly and lingeringly. This kiss seemed like a continuous test of Solar's resolve. His demeanour showed no sign of stopping easily. Solar didn't object, but asked in a calm voice while the pen continued to cross out on the paper.

"What are you doing?"

"That way, it won't make you fall asleep. You'll stay awake all the time," the burly teacher whispered. He said this while still having fun playing with the teacher's small body.

"Really? I always see you passed out everywhere."

"Don't exaggerate. We've been here until dawn before," the burly teacher boasted.

proudly

"Wasn't that back in school?"

"I'm still studying, you know."

"What subject?"

"The subject of love," the burly teacher said with a mischievous expression, the corners of his mouth curving up. A sly smile, like a cat about to pounce on its prey.

My teacher was small in stature; his laughter was soft and gentle, like a gentle voice.

Wind chimes ringing on a moonlit night.

"Uncle, are you borrowing my dad's joke?"

The burly teacher smiled without answering. He resumed his incessant caressing of the smaller teacher, his hands tracing provocatively along his back and arms. Finally, Solar's strong resolve crumbled like a sandbar washed away by waves. He couldn't take it anymore, closing his homework notebook—a signal of his own release.

"You're really determined to get it, aren't you?"

Solar saw a mischievous, smiling Pobmek wink at him.

"But you have to promise me you won't fall asleep."

Solar extended his little finger. This long, familiar finger was a symbol of a promise. Instead of linking pinky fingers, Pobmek put Solar's little finger in his mouth. This unexpected action surprised and amused Solar.

"I'll link pinky fingers with you!"

"Yeah, I wasn't going to sleep anyway."

They both giggled heartily, their laughter harmonising in the warmest rhythm of the night. Pobmek is clinging to their arms and leaning perfectly against Solar. A feeling of comfort spread throughout their bodies, as if settling into a warm, safe bird's nest. Eventually, their weariness was swallowed up by this small moment of happiness.

The calendar on his cell phone, lying beside his bed, had turned to Friday. The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains in thin wisps. He found himself sleeping soundly, his body sinking into the mattress. The fatigue accumulated throughout the week was completely released; his body felt light, like a feather floating in mid-air.

Suddenly, Solar's cell phone rang, shattering the silence. It rang abruptly, like an alarm bell, disrupting his peaceful rest.

Pobmek jolted awake instantly. His eyes blinked rapidly to adjust to the bright light. He reached for his cell phone, which was still vibrating on the wooden floor. He saw on the screen that it was Aurora's mother calling. Panic struck him instantly. Pobmek answered the call quickly, as if afraid it was too late.

"Hello"

After a while, Pobmek stepped out of the bedroom into the living room. His body, fully rested, felt refreshed, as if its battery had been fully charged. But when his eyes momentarily fell upon his desk, he was stunned.

Solar was still sitting in the same spot as last night! A pile of homework notebooks was still stacked on his desk. Solar sat gazing at them with a serene expression, like a sculpted marble statue. His face was unusually expressionless.

"I accidentally fell asleep without realising it," Pobmek walked over to Solar. "And you?"

"How can you not sleep? Aren't you sleepy at all?" Solar looked up and met Pobmek’s gaze for a moment. His eyes were too clear to be sleepy, yet also empty, making it difficult to guess his identity. He simply shook his head slightly in response.

"Oh, Aurora's mom just called. She said Aurora's taking another sick day." Pobmek paused briefly to observe Solar's expression. 

"So I called Sodchuen and told her we'll be coming to school a little late today, so we can stop by Aurora's house." Solar nodded silently to Pobmek. His nod was slow and emotionless, like the movement of a programmed robot. 

Pobmek froze, his face filled with intense suspicion and confusion. This strange feeling began to gnaw at him, like a tiny worm burrowing into an apple. He sensed that something was wrong with Solar this morning.

The midday sunlight streamed down onto Aurora's porch, creating a warm and airy feeling. A dark wood table sat in the centre, surrounded by trees.

Solar and Aurora sat opposite each other at a table. A set of carved wooden chess pieces was laid out on the board. A few moves had already begun, each piece strategically placed on the squares. Pobmek stood nearby, his hands clasped across his arms, observing silently. The suspicion he harboured towards Solar that morning still lingered in his mind, like a shadow that followed him incessantly.

"Aurora... why haven't you been to school for two days? Are you feeling unwell?"

"Yes, I'm not feeling well, teacher."

Solar stopped his move. The piece he was about to pick up was gently placed back on the table. A heavy feeling was evident in his eyes before he asked Aurora, his voice softening.

"Or maybe you don't want to go... because you had an argument with Elsa?"

"No, teacher!" Aurora's voice rang out quickly Firm and resolute, like the sound of an arrow strung straight ahead.

"Oh, why don't you look sick at all?" Pobmek asked. Aurora fell silent, the smile that had been on her face instantly disappearing. A heavy silence filled the air, as if all the air in the courtyard had been sucked out. She hesitantly lifted her skirt, revealing her slender legs, before pointing them out to Solar and Pobmek. They saw that Aurora was wearing a soft, flesh-colored cast on her ankle, completely covered by her sock.

"Actually, I just tripped and sprained my ankle." Her voice lowered. It was like a soft whisper, "But I don't want anyone to know that I'm weak." Hearing that, Pobmek was stunned, his words stuck in his throat, as if a large stone were lodged in his oesophagus. Solar slowly swept all the chess pieces off the board. Aurora watched in bewilderment, her eyes filled with confusion. 

It all went on with a question mark, leaving only a few pawns and two queens still standing tall on the board.

"But all your friends are waiting to see you, Aurora."

"I want to see my friends too... especially Elsa..."

She spoke while pursing her lips in annoyance.

"But I have to be strong first, otherwise I won't be able to withstand Elsa's harsh words."

"Hey, why didn't you scold Elsa yesterday?" Solar asked.

"The fact that Elsa isn't the heroine... she's already suffering enough." Aurora looked up and met Solar's gaze, her eyes filled with pure empathy.

"I don't want to hurt her any more," Aurora replied. Upon hearing Aurora's answer, Pobmek nodded in genuine respect. Solar, hearing this, was visibly delighted, his face beaming with undisguised pride.

"This is what a true heroine should be like. We made the right choice in selecting her."

"Huh?" Pobmek and Aurora were taken aback by Solar's words.

"Because we chose you as the leading lady."

Both Aurora and Pobmek were stunned, their bodies frozen as if cursed to turn to stone. They had just realised that the person sitting before them was Sun, disguised as Teacher Solar.

Then Aurora giggled, her laughter clear and bright like glass bells. Meanwhile, Pobmek remained stunned, a mixture of confusion and surprise, before launching an attack.

"Teacher Pobmek, please let Sun go back to directing the play." Aurora turned around, gazing at Pobmek with pleading eyes.

"Because Sun is really into acting and he's very good at it. As for Elsa, Sun didn't do anything wrong. He was just protecting me," she smiled confidently.

"I promise I'll go back to school tomorrow."

Upon hearing that, Pobmek nodded in understanding. The pressure he had felt dissipated into the air. Sun felt proud of himself; his face shone like the midday sun.

"Since the lead actress herself has confirmed it, can you let me go back to directing now?"

"Okay... alright... but you have to do a good job, understand?"

"Yes, I promise!"

Sun grinned widely, revealing his clean white teeth. He held out his pinky finger for a promise. Seeing this, Pobmek felt relieved and linked his pinky finger with Sun's, making a promise. 

The calendar on the wall says today is Sunday. But the P.2/1 classroom was teeming with life. Sun stood at the front, the centre of a surging energy. His body trembled slightly with excitement as he explained the details of the performance to his classmates. His eyes blazed with fervent enthusiasm, as a candle flame ignited in the darkness.

He found Mek standing a short distance away near the classroom door. The feeling of relief from yesterday still lingered in his chest like the steam from a cup of coffee in the morning. He smiled slightly when he saw Sun returning to do what he loved.

Sun let his friends try out their roles. Aurora, playing Snow White, looked beautiful and elegant. Her face was radiant, like a sunflower turning to face the sunlight.

As for Elsa, she wore a dark brown and green tree costume, standing motionless in the corner of the room like a tree. She stood still and silent, her eyes fixed on Aurora. Disappointment contorted her face, a heavy weight like the earth on her shoulders. Tears welled up in her eyes, trembling like dewdrops on a spiderweb, ready to fall at any moment.

Sun, who was bending down to look at the script, accidentally noticed Elsa. Worry immediately flashed in his eyes, like a reflection in a shattered mirror. He paused, directing for a moment and looked at Elsa with a worried expression.

The gym's calendar says today is Tuesday. Sun and his friends moved to rehearse with the actual set inside a large gymnasium. The musty scent of plywood mingled with a hint of dust in the air. Pobmek proudly presented the nearly complete scene to the children; the backdrop was an intricately painted forest. When Pobmek pulled a hidden cord, artificial green and brown leaves gently fell, like green rain. When the pendant pulled another point, gold and silver confetti shot out rapidly, like a thousand stars exploding.

The children all let out a loud "Wow!" in unison, like a train horn blaring through a tunnel. They were so excited they trembled, clapping their hands loudly like raindrops falling on a corrugated iron roof in perfect unison. Pobmek stood at a distance, his heart trembling with excitement.

It was as if he had become a child again. He smiled broadly, forgetting himself, when he saw that the children's dedication and Sun’s efforts were about to become a beautiful reality.

The classroom for grade 2/1 remained silent, with only the soft golden light of early morning illuminating the room. The sunlight streamed in through the window. Sun stood in front of the whiteboard. He had just put down his pen after finishing writing an important sentence. On the board was a carefully written message:

"The Day of the Classroom Play", the lettering is slightly slanted forward, indicating the energetic spirit of the writer. Mek was sitting in a small wooden student chair, yawning continuously. His yawns were long and heavy, like the moaning of an old house on a stormy night. His body looked limp in the chair, exhaustion gnawing at him, making him feel like a frozen brick.

"Finally, the day of the actual performance has arrived!"

Sun's face was beaming with a wide, bright smile, radiating excitement.

"Yes, I know," Pobmek replied in a muffled voice, as if a warm stone was stuck in his throat. He tried to open his eyes, but the weight of his eyelids was as heavy as small slabs of concrete.

"Wow, what's wrong, Uncle? Why aren't you excited?" Sun looked at Pobmek with a puzzled expression.

Showing his incomprehension, his eyebrows rose high into a triangular shape.

"Don't even talk about being excited, I'm not even awake," Pobmek sighed listlessly. His brain was working slowly and sluggishlyLike an old computer freezing. Jee rushed into the room, his breathing ragged and loud, like an old water pump overworked. His face was flushed, and tiny beads of sweat appeared on his hairline like wet sand.

"Hey, Pobmek! Something big has happened!"

He stared at Jee with a bewildered expression. His drowsiness was shattered by his shock and panic. His senses suddenly became heightened, like a gentle electric shock, making him wonder what was really happening.

Pobmek, Jee and Sun run through the silence of the school building to the gym door. Their hearts pounded like small war drums. Jee opened the gym door first. The three of them stopped abruptly, like a car that had just suddenly braked

What they saw before them was a horrifying catastrophe. The theatrical set that he had painstakingly worked on for days had now collapsed like a collapsed cake. The pine support posts were broken in half, revealing sharp splinters, while the backdrop fabric, painted to depict a forest, was torn in long strips like a large wound on the surface. The equipment and various props were scattered haphazardly on the floor, with gold confetti and fake leaves piled up together, like the ruins of a dream."

In the midst of the chaos, Sodchuen stood, her body stiff as a stone statue. Her anger radiated outwards like a brewing whirlwind. She stood with her hands on her hips, fiercely berating the janitor.

You could almost hear the burning words coming out of her. The janitor stood trembling, his face as pale as white paper. His hands were clasped tightly in front of him, his head bowed so low his chin almost touched his chest. He looked both terrified and resigned, like a bird with its wings clipped.

Pobmek looked at the whole scene in disbelief. A heavy feeling suddenly pressed down on his chest, like a large rock crushing him. His brain shut down for a moment before a single word escaped his lips softly.

"What the hell..."