Love You Teacher

Chapter 8. 

The room now looks like a small battlefield. The new toys that Mek recently bought are stacked together to form a tall castle, but some are scattered and broken.

Pobmek stood stunned, staring at the scene before him with an empty gaze. A wave of weariness overwhelmed him, leaving him almost completely drained. In Sun's small hands was an old metal toy robot, seemingly a cherished possession of Pobmek's since childhood. It had been carelessly glued to the handle of a plastic umbrella decorated with Meks.

"Look, Uncle! I made a flying robot!" Sun shouted proudly. Without hesitation, Sun tossed the umbrella with the robot attached to the handle into the air. The once-perfect robot spun wildly in mid-air before crashing to the ground with a loud thud! That sound was like the last straw that snapped Pobmek's mind. The pent-up anger erupted uncontrollably.

"You can play with all the pieces! Except for this one!" Mek yelled loudly and lunged towards Sun quickly. However, he was so preoccupied with his belongings that he didn't look where he was going. 

He slipped on a pancake plate left on the floor and fell backwards, landing awkwardly on the floor. A sharp pain shot up from his tailbone to his back, making him cry out in agony. The cell phone in his hand fell to the ground, shattering its screen.

Seeing that, Sun stopped abruptly. His previously cheerful expression turned slightly worried. He looked at Mei, who was lying on the ground moaning, with a feeling of confusion

The next morning, the calendar hanging on the wall had the previous day, marked "Sun," crossed out. Today was the day Solar would be himself again.

Mek bent over, busily cleaning up the mess that Sun had left behind the night before. He lifted a storage box, looking exhausted, as if he hadn't slept all night. Suddenly, Solar, who had just woken up, walked into the room. Seeing Pobmek's tired expression, he smiled, then leaned closer and kissed Pobmek's cheek as he usually did.

"Did you just wake up, or haven't you slept at all?"

Pobmek looked at his boyfriend with an extremely weary expression.

"How can I lie down? Look at this!"

He looked up and scanned the room. It was even messier than the night before. New and old toys were mixed together, almost indistinguishable. Dried pancake crumbs clung to the floor, leaving streaks. Solar stared at the sight, his mouth agape in shock.

"My doing?" Solar pointed to himself and saw Mek nod in confirmation. He walked over and slumped onto the sofa, leaning back against the backrest and letting out a long sigh.

"I can't take it anymore. If you don't return to your original form soon, I'm leaving the condo...We're definitely going to become a toy graveyard."

"Hmm... so, what did the therapist say when you talked to him/her?" Solar asked.

He sat down beside him and continued asking questions with interest.

"She said there's a way to treat it, if she knew what you went through as a child. What's so serious?" Solar’s expression showed a hint of hope.

"Really? But like I've told you before, I really don't remember anything. I can't think of anything."

"Yeah, Phu already told the doctor. So I called your mom last night," Pobmek said in a serious tone.

"Oh, really? And what did mother say?"

"I didn't know anything. The room was already being smashed by a bowl of pottery." - Pobmek showed Solar his mobile phone with the cracked screen.

"My phone's broken too. Anyway, could you ask Mom if she's okay with it?"

Do you know something?"

Solar nodded in agreement to the request. He reached out and took Pobmek's hand.

The phone is there, so squeeze gently to give encouragement.

"The therapist said that some cases improve within months, while others can drag on for decades," Pobmek said in a visibly weak voice, then clasped his hands together in a prayerful gesture.

"Amen. I hope Solar is back next month. Please don't bring Sun back."

"Fingers crossed!"

As soon as Pobmek finished speaking, the sky rumbled with thunder. The sound was so loud it seemed to say it was displeased with his request. Pobmek's face immediately fell. Solar couldn't help but laugh at his boyfriend's reaction.

After that, Solar went to organise his things and prepare for today's teaching session. He then noticed an old umbrella with a cloud pattern, on which Sun had glued a Mek-themed robot figure. He picked up the umbrella and examined it with interest.

"But then again, maybe it's good that Sun is around... At least I get to find Important things because I thought they were lost."

Solar picked up the umbrella and showed it to Pobmek, who looked at the umbrella with a certain expression. Not very pleasant

"Hmm... It's alright... or so I thought!" Mek walked over, snatched the umbrella from Solar's hand, and continued complaining.

"I don't know if he's glued the robot back together and broken the umbrella again," he muttered, struggling to open the umbrella. When he finally managed to open it, brightly colored confetti that Sun had secretly put inside fell onto his head. Solar saw this and burst into uncontrollable laughter.

"I'm so fed up with Sun!!" Pobmek shouted, his voice echoing through the room in frustration.

The afternoon sunlight streamed softly through the windows into the school building. Jee and Sodchuen were comfortably observing Solar's lesson from the front of the Grade 2/1 classroom. They saw Solar kneeling in the middle of the class circle.

The children in the room held storybooks, and Solar narrated stories in a warm and friendly voice. Each child laughed cheerfully and was interested in the stories he was telling. The sight brought relief to both of them, knowing that Solar had returned to being the English teacher they were familiar with once again.

But then their eyes caught sight of Mek approaching. His face was visibly grim, as if he were carrying the weariness of the whole world all on his face alone. In his hand, he clutched a tattered blue plastic umbrella with a Mek pattern. A toy metal robot was glued firmly to the handle, like an unsightly tumour growing out of the umbrella. Jee was struck by the sight.

"Wow, friend... I understand that being a teacher doesn't pay that well, but..."

"Do you really need to be this frugal?"

Pobmek looked down at the umbrella in his hand and just sighed. He wanted to cry and whine, but all he could do was grip the handle tighter. Sodchuen watched him, frowning slightly. She could guess what must have happened at her junior's house last night.

"It's Sun's doing again, isn't it?" Sodchuen asked with a voice full of understanding. Mek could only nod wearily.

"Come on, don't be upset. Kids need to use their imagination," Sodchuen patted Pobmek’s shoulder gently to encourage him. 

"You can probably buy a new umbrella like this." Those words didn't make Pobmek feel any better. He sighed.

She spoke softly, her voice weary.

"Buying a new one isn't difficult, brother."

"But this umbrella is one of a kind in the whole world," Mek said. 

Sodchuen and Jee, both their faces filled with question marks. They were searching for answers about what made that seemingly worthless old umbrella so important to Pobmek. Pobmek's face fell immediately, his gaze drifting into the air, reminiscing about the past.

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Splash... splash... splash.....

The sound of rain outside the university dorm, combined with the ringing of the phone in the darkness, changed the gloomy atmosphere inside the room. Mek picked up the phone, his face showing extreme frustration. He sat on the floor next to the package his mother had sent him.

"It's not this box, Mom... I have a sticker on my book box. This is an old box; I was going to throw it away anyway," he said, his voice filled with disappointment and weariness.

"Oh, really? They all look the same. Okay, then I'll drive and bring them to your dorm tonight," said Pranee, his mother, at the end of the line.

"No need, Mom. I'm not in a hurry to use it," Pobmek refused in a tone that.. So exhausted he could barely speak.

"Okay, fine, suit yourself. And now, what are we going to eat?"

"Mom, I have to read now. Bye for now," Pobmek quickly cut short the conversation and hung up. He sighed in relief, but still felt awkward about his mistake. He sat there, examining the items in the box with a bored expression. 

There was a high school yearbook, an old clock with a long-dead battery, a blue plastic umbrella with a Mek pattern, and a pile of old CDs we recorded ourselves when we were obsessed with being musicians. One of them had the cover labelled "Sung by Me." Pobmek stared at the CD with an empty expression, then tossed it into the box and dragged it to the trash can, preparing to throw it away. Just then, the sound of the room door opening suddenly echoed through the room.

Solar entered the room completely soaked. His previously dry white t-shirt was now damp and clinging to his skin, revealing his small frame beneath. His neatly styled hair was now dishevelled and wet. He stood shivering slightly, like a kitten caught in the rain.

"Oh my god, it's raining so hard! What's going on in this country?" Seeing this, Pobmek got up, grabbed a towel hanging nearby, and threw it to Solar.

"It's the rainy season now, so why didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"I forgot to buy it. I was planning to walk along the building, but I couldn't manage it," Solar said.

He said this while drying his hair and clothes with a towel. He found Mek walking back to his desk, still reading his book, while Solar leisurely explored the room. His eyes fell on a box that Mek was about to throw away, and he noticed a cloud-patterned umbrella lying inside, seemingly uninterested.

"And is this your umbrella?" Solar asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, it's an old umbrella," Pobmek replied in a flat tone without looking up.

Solar grabbed the umbrella and walked over to where Mek was sitting at the table, before opening it. 

"Hey, I'm here too!" Pobmek looked up, wondering what his roommate was talking about. Solar pointed to the pattern on the umbrella, which depicted several Meks with a small sun hidden within.

"Look! There's the sun, emitting solar light!"

Those words made Mek unintentionally burst into laughter.

"You actually came up with that idea, huh...?"

The moment his laughter subsided, Pobmek realised he was now under the same umbrella as Solar. Solar was so close he could almost feel his warm breath on his face. The sudden feeling of unease made Pobmek quickly turn away from Solar's gaze and try to cover up his embarrassment with a slightly trembling voice.

"Okay...then you can use it."

"No thanks..." Solar chuckled softly.

"I'd rather keep it for you to use."

After Solar finished speaking, he folded his umbrella and placed it near Pobmek's table before walking to his own corner in a good mood, with a mischievous smile, leaving Pobmek sitting still, alone in his thoughts. His heart was pounding as if it would burst from his chest. The strange feeling that had just occurred still lingered in his heart, and Pobmek didn't know what it was.

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And after that day, I used this umbrella as an excuse to stay close to Solar. Whenever it rained, I would pick him up and drop him off. Even though I didn't have classes or anything to do that day that required me to leave my room, I was always happy to go see him.

At this very moment, Pobmek still stood gazing at the broken umbrella in his hand with a faint smile that concealed a multitude of emotions. It was a smile like the sun shining through the clouds. not a dazzling sun, but one that offered warmth and comfort. Jee, listening to the story with deep emotion, followed the umbrella with understanding eyes.

"Wow... that's a romantic prop, my friend," Jee said with a smile.

"Oh, I understand now why you were clenching your fists so tightly at Sun."

Sodchuen gently patted her younger brother's shoulder to comfort him.

"I know Sun didn't mean to break it, but it's not like I can't feel anything at all." Pobmek looked at the umbrella in his hand again, then carefully put it away in his bag.

"That's why I want to get Solar treated as quickly as possible."

"That's so fetch!"

A small voice coming from behind made all three of them stop in their tracks. They turned to look at the same time, and the sight they saw left them bewildered. Little Elsa was standing there, secretly listening to everything, and jotting something down in a small pink hardcover notebook.

"What are you writing, Elsa?" Sodchuen asked curiously. Jee and Pobmek walked around to stand behind Elsa and were amazed by what they saw. The notebook was filled with detailed information about each of her friends, and included illustrations drawn by Elsa herself.

"Burn book..." Mek murmured in disbelief.

"That's what you use to jot down your friends' secrets, huh... Wow... That's amazing!" Jee turned to ask Elsa, her voice filled with both surprise and amazement at the little girl's abilities.

"Well, to be a Queen Bee, you need to have weapons in your hands, teacher."

Elsa replied in a voice that was more mature than her age.

"These days, they don't use force anymore. They use psychology."

"Is this a student from my school...?" Sodchuen gasped, putting her hand to her chest in surprise.

"Sun is a new student, so I need to gather some information. If I know what kind of issues my classmates have, I can handle them properly," Elsa replied nonchalantly, unaffected by the expressions on the three teachers' faces.

While the three teachers were stunned by Elsa's terrifying intelligence, Tinkerbell and Aurora left the classroom. Upon seeing Elsa, they quickly called out to their friends.

"Elsa, we're going to pee. Want to come with us?" Aurora asked in a sweet, innocent voice.

"Go ahead," Elsa replied to her friends in a sweet voice.

"I'll be going now, teacher."

Elsa followed her friends, leaving Jee, Mek, and Sodchuen standing there, looking at each other with eyes that seemed to have suddenly clicked. A sparkle appeared in their eyes, as if a plan was about to unfold.

The atmosphere at the stone table was filled with the children's whispers. Pobmek, Sodchuen, and Jee were attentively listening for Elsa and Tinkerbell's answers.

Aurova: All the children had candy in their mouths, looking very content.

"Has Sun ever told you anything about his family?" Elsa hesitated. Seriously, "Hmm....."

"Yes," Aurora interjected brightly. Upon hearing this, Pobmek, Sodchuen and Jee reacted like foxes hearing a squirrel's cry. All three leaned closer to Aurora.

Interest

"Sun once said that Mom likes to turn on the lights when she's at home," Aurora replied with a smile

"So what kind of knot is that?" Jee asked, confused.

"It's something at home, it's not a big deal," Aurora replied innocently. That answer disappointed the three teachers so much that they almost collapsed to the floor. The disappointment spread throughout the conversation. Sodchuen then switched to her role as a girl gossiping with her friends.

"Does Sun have any secrets about his family? Like about someone at home who makes you feel bad or something like that," Tinkerbell whispered to Aurora, before Aurora answered for her.

"Yes, my dad limits my cartoon viewing time."

"Sun's father?" Pobmek asked excitedly.

"No, he's Tinkerbell's father," Aurora replied, adding the name again. That answer made the three teachers clutch their heads, feeling like their heads were spinning. It will explode into pieces, like a volcano about to erupt.

"But I think mine is the heaviest," Elsa said in a serious tone.

"My sister took her Barbie to get a skinhead haircut. Look!"

Elsa reached into her pocket and pulled out a Barbie with a shaved head. Everyone was stunned by the appearance of the once-beautiful Barbie, who now looked like a thug.

"Lately, Chib has been spending a lot of time with his older brother. His brother likes playing with Gundam models, so he's been influencing that too. The violence was directed at Barbie."

"How awful!" Jee and Sodchuen exclaimed in shock simultaneously.

"But you know, when people are with something for a long time, they tend to change," Aurora said in a comforting tone. 

"We're sorry about your sister, Elsa."

Elsa nodded in thanks before Tinkerbell started to cry.

Without any warning, the three teachers exchanged puzzled glances.

"Um, Tinkerbell... is your friend's story really that sad, dear?" Sodchuen asked, confused.

"We haven't even gone to pee yet," Aurora replied with a disappointed tone.

"Oh, sorry, sorry! Don't cry, okay? The principal will take you to pee," Sodchuen hurried.

Changing the atmosphere, she escorted the children to the restroom. Once they were all gone, Pobmek sighed, feeling disappointed that he hadn't learned anything new. 

"Sigh... Nothing at all... I thought talking to the children would reveal some clues about Sun..."

"Hee hee..."

A chilling laugh escaped his throat as he chuckled. Mek turned to look at him with a mixture of fear and apprehension.

"I wonder, 'Hey G...what's wrong with you?'"

He nudged the child to his feet with a mischievous look.

"When people are with something for a long time, it tends to change with it." 

"I think... I've got a plan, man."

The usually quiet atmosphere in the director's office was filled with excitement, like air bursting from a balloon. Pobmek, Solar, and Sodchuen sat around a large conference table, watching Jee busily working on his laptop. When everything was ready, Jee pressed the button to turn on the projector screen.

The meeting topic appeared in large letters on the screen: "Plan to reclaim the solar power plant license."

"Return"

Jee quickly changed the slide. The image on the screen transformed into a person with half red representing "Sun" and half blue representing "Solar," like a cartoon cut in half. Jee turned to look at his friends with a confident gaze.

"The method is...we have to work together to keep Solar in his body for as long as possible and get him to sleep as early as possible. If we keep doing this repeatedly, Solar will be with us longer each day, and eventually, Sun might disappear completely."

While speaking, Jee opened a slide showing an image of a person in blue gradually being consumed by red until only Solar remained, 100% blue, his eyes wide with a look of freshness that almost popped out of their sockets.

"Damn... Genius! A product of a first-class honours degree with a gold medal!

No, not at all."

"It seems like a good idea," Pobmek said with a thoughtful expression. "But will it really work?"

Really?"

"You'll never know unless you try, right? Besides, we don't know the past of solar anyway."

Jee replied quickly, "That's why I think we have to give it a try." Pobmek nodded in understanding, then turned to look at Solar, whose face was filled with...

Solar's gaze was vacant, as if he were staring at something unseen. He stared intently at the desk calendar in the room, as if counting down to the end of something. Pobmek  asked Solar in a gentle and worried tone.

"Solar... are you okay?"

Solar turned to look at Mek. His face still showed worry, but when he saw the fresh, determined, and hopeful expression on the other's face, the fear that had gnawed at his heart gradually vanished. The courage and hope that had been dormant within him were instantly awakened. He straightened up and spoke in a firmer voice.

"Okay, fine. Whatever happens, happens!!"

They all looked at each other hopefully, like a ship about to set sail. Travelling through the storm with a map in hand.