It's Friday. Friday means we can be together a little bit longer. Today, I've decided to confess my feelings to him, the quiet boy in the same classroom. The dim orange light cascades into the classroom after the bell. I remember this moment well. It's my first

time wishing to capture the sight with my own hands. I want to draw. I want to paint those colours. I'm fascinated by the matching colours.

 

The boy with the faint blue aura, the owner of beautiful brown eyes, sits at his table, his legs dangling under the chair. He is gazing out the window, too focused on a squirrel jumping from one tree to another to notice someone staring at him. I step toward Ket. Even when I'm this close, he still doesn't notice it.

 

"I like you."

 

Those words slip out of my mouth, and those gazing eyes turn to mine. At first, Ket looks in disbelief. I press my lips together tightly, scared our friendship will be destroyed. But then, he smiles. Ket holds out his small hand.

 

"Um."

 

My heart jumps in my chest, something blooming in my stomach. Ket accepted it without thinking, no hesitation. I can't pinpoint when our relationship developed romantically, but the feelings happened on the first day we met when I looked into those charming brown eyes and saw the aura radiating from his body. The closer we got, the more I felt his warmth and was fulfilled.

 

The feelings gradually formed, like a paintbrush dipping into a bucket of water, spreading the colours until they're mixed into one. Ket was pure water, a perfect kid. But since he was an only child with hardworking parents who had multiple rivals, he was constantly moved from school to school and bullied by the children of his father's rivals. Kids spread false rumours about him until everyone avoided him, leaving him friendless. As a result, Ket's eyes were fierce and isolated when we first met.

 

I was the bright colours on the tip of a paintbrush. Nobody taught me anything. All I had was a sister who was much older than me and loved spoiling me, which made me the type of kid who did whatever he wished. I was naughty, caused trouble, and meddled in something I shouldn't have. I did anything that would make me happy, embracing it as much as possible. Deep down, however, I longed for warmth from somebody.

 

When we met, we became one colour. We fit together like a puzzle, finding each other's missing piece. Ket received my colours while I took his purity. Our distance shortened. Two strangers started chatting about trivial matters. We learned about each other's preferences even though we used to keep our feelings hidden. We addressed each other by our short names instead of being distant. We stopped going straight home on Friday and took on the cleaning duty to spend a little more time together. Best friends became important people. Important people became special. And these special people fostered innocent love in children who sought love from someone. 

 

Everything happened in less than one year, no, only a few months. At thirteen, I confessed my feelings to the first boy I liked. When you're young, you're honest about your feelings. You say how you feel. You express your likes and dislikes. You say if you want something or not. Is that why young love tends to succeed?

 

"Be careful."

 

Ket's clear, slightly low voice expresses his worry as he watches me climb over the fence in the middle of the night. I flash a playful smile at the boy holding out his hands to catch me despite his thin body.

 

"I'm good at this."

 

"You'll fall like that day."

 

Ket probably recalls one of the first days we met. I climbed over the wall of our school and dropped onto the ground. Back then, I didn't expect anyone to catch me or care about how I'd drop as long as it wasn't too painful. I feel kind of glad that Ket is waiting to catch me today. Usually, nobody cared even if they fell off the stairs. They neither caught nor checked if I was dead or not.

 

"Catch me."

 

I jump down onto Ket, and we both roll on the ground in a complete mess. After sitting up, we burst out laughing. Our laughter, harmonising with the crickets chirping, is the most pleasant sound in the world. Ket rises and brushes the dust off his pants before helping me get up, his blue aura at night as mesmerising as ever.

 

"Let's go. We won't make it in time."

 

I hop onto the back seat of the red bicycle with a basket at the front. Ket rides it through the narrow alley. The cool night air makes me close my eyes and inhale it. The scent of ylang-ylang in the alley is so refreshing, recharging my energy. I tighten my arms around Ket's waist. I'm not afraid of falling. Ket is just so warm that I want to snuggle up against him.

 

The temple festival is frequently held in my neighbourhood at the area's largest temple. People regularly make merit there. Ning usually accompanied me to the festival, but she went to bed early because of the late hour and a plan with her friends for tomorrow.

 

I've always loved temple festivals. Like, since I was born. Unlike me, Ket has never gone to a local temple festival. Of course. The only son is cherished, wrapped in cotton wool, and protected from everything. I was surprised that his mother allowed her precious son to go out alone at night on his bicycle.

 

I actually wanted to go after classes. The sunset view on the Ferris Wheel is so beautiful that I hope Ket can witness it. The sky would be a mix of blue, pink, and orange, like cotton candy sold at the cart by the festival entrance. Although it's a shame, it's okay. I'm happy to spend more time with him.

 

In the eighth grade, Ket has cram school on weekdays, which finishes at nine. That explained why I sneakily climbed out of my place. If I’d asked my parents, they wouldn't have permitted me to go out in the middle of the night.

 

"You won't be caught, right?" Ket asks, pulling over by the canal and locking the bicycle to the rusty green steel pipe. I shake my head.

 

"No. No one cares where I am. We all split into our own rooms after dinner."

 

The boy with gorgeous eyes hums a response.

 

"Let's play the balloon dart game."

 

I take Ket's hand and run into the festival. The festival at night is more beautiful than during the daytime because of the decorated lights. Even if it's 9 pm, it's still crowded. No one seems to get tired. I stop at the balloon dart game with Ket and pay for the darts. The yellow balloons are arranged in a grid of square boxes, with various plushes above, which will be our reward based on the number of hit balloons. I turn to Ket as he stares at those balloons. It must be new to him.

 

"Try it."

 

"I'm not good at this."

"Just try."

 

I shove the darts into Ket's hand. He throws them for a while but hits none. I guess this is really not his thing. Even an unskilled person like Ning can hit one or two. I keep laughing until Ket turns to pout at me.

 

"I've never played this game."

 

"It's okay. Ning sucks at this, too. Watch me. I'm the best."

 

I throw a dart right at the yellow balloon, bursting it. With one set of darts, I manage to win a weird-looking plush, a medium-sized teddy bear. I'll be caught if I bring it home, so I hold it out to Ket. He looks at me, lifting his eyebrow.

 

"For me?"

 

"Yeah. I have tons. Plus, my mom hates plushies. They're dusty."

 

Ket hesitates before accepting the teddy bear with a distorted face into his arms, affectionately. Judging by his sparkling eyes, I assume no one has ever bought him a plush.

 

"Thank you."

 

We have fun to our hearts' content, getting on the carousel and spooning fish, but failing. We promise to spoon some Molly fish back home next time, otherwise we won't be able to sleep. We wrap up with the most beautiful thing in the festival, the Ferris Wheel. Ket pays for both of us, and the operator gets us into a cabin. The cabin's metal structure isn't very secure. It also swings when we step inside, scaring Ket.

 

"It feels like it's going to fall off." Ket sits down awkwardly. On the contrary, I settle down casually since I'm used to it.

 

"It won't fall off. I rode it loads of times. Just don't move too much, or you'll fall."

 

"Kieng!"

 

The operator shuts the door and moves us up to get other customers into the next cabin.

 

"Wait until we go high up. You'll see the stars very clearly."

 

Once all cabins are full, the Ferris Wheel slowly rotates. As we ascend, Ket drops his gaze to the ground, his body trembling with worry. He clutches the teddy bear so hard that its face twists.

 

"Don't look down."

 

"But it's so high."

 

"You'll be more scared if you look down."

 

Seeing Ket about to cry, I hop forward to sit beside him, causing the cabin to lose balance and swing back and forth. Startled, Ket grabs my arm.

 

"Kieng! It's tilting!"

 

"Keep your eyes on my face." I cup his face to meet my gaze, staring into Ket's beautiful brown eyes.

 

"Look at me, not down there. You won't be scared."

 

Ket looks at me quietly. We hold each other's gazes for so long. Neither of us averts our eyes. Even though we've confessed our feelings, there's no shyness here. Perhaps we just don't overthink it. All I know is I'm exhilarated to look into his eyes, and it'll be a shame to turn away.

 

"Are you okay now?"

 

"Um," Ket hums a reply. His body begins to stop shaking. "You're so brave, Kieng."

 

"I wouldn't be able to take care of myself otherwise," 1 grumble like the honest kid 1 am. Since no one is there to comfort me, I have to be strong on my own. Even though I have Ning, she's a girl who cries when seeing cockroaches. She can't comfort me all the time.

 

"But you need someone to take care of you at times. Like, when you're sick."

 

"You can take care of me." I grin. Before we say anything more, our cabin reaches the top of the Ferris Wheel. I look out the window with my eyes widening.

 

The sky is so stunning tonight that I poke Ket's arm, gesturing to him to check it out.

Ket's eyes follow my index finger. Besides his expression, I can only see his soft, dark hair, long neck, and blue aura radiating. Considering how quiet he is, I bet he's stunned by the beauty of the night sky.

 

I've never been a fan of stars or stargazing, since I've never viewed darkness as beautiful. But this is the first day my feelings deep down slowly change. The moonless night. The open sky. The sky full of stars looks like the sea under the starlight. I unconsciously stare at the sky as long as Ket does. The most beautiful thing is the light from the star in front of me, the blue aura exuding from Ket's body, with the sea of stars at night as the background.

 

The most beautiful light isn't from the stars in the sky. It's the light from Ket's body.

We sit in silence, astonished by the beauty of nature. When the Ferris Wheel moves again, Ket seizes my hand.

 

"Isn't it amazing?" My voice snaps Ket back to reality. The boy my age turns his head to me with tears trickling down his cheeks. yelped in alarm as he burst into tears.

 

"Why are you crying, idiot?!"

 

"Hu...it's beautiful. So beautiful. Really beautiful. I've never seen the stars so clearly." Ket wipes his tears with his tiny hands, sobbing. I need to help him clean his face.

Tears don't look good on him.

 

"Let's come back again."

 

"Can we?" Ket asks with enthusiasm. I flash a smile, showing my white teeth.

 

"Of course. We can come back anytime."

 

After getting out of the cabin, we fill our stomachs with some snacks and return to the bicycle parking area. My watch shows it's ten. I think Ket's mother might be worried.

I climb into the back seat and watch Ket unlock the chain from the rusty metal pipe. Despite his thinner body, he tries to balance the bicycle, worried that I'll get hurt if we fall. Ket slowly rides it, his movements careful, paying attention to things nobody cares about. He even checks if the chains will cut my skin, so I keep my legs away from them.

 

"Ket," I call his name. He looks back with curious eyes.

 

"Hmm?"

 

"I'm the happiest when I'm with you." I smile brightly. Ket's eyes widen before he cracks a faint smile.

 

"I'm also the happiest when I'm with you."

 

In the ninth grade, Ket plays basketball. People change every year. Last year, I hated cucumbers, but they tasted better after trying them a few more times. I love them now this year. Likewise, Ket suddenly enjoys basketball, even if he didn't fancy any sports last year. After classes in the evening, you will find Ket at the basketball court.

In contrast, I'd chill out in the library since I'm not a fan of sports. I'd stay at our regular table, where we love reading together. It's our secret place where no one bothers us.

 

The floor-to-ceiling shelves are home to rare titles. No kids set foot in the last section since it's full of unbelievably thick history books. I never liked reading. If Ket didn't enjoy reading these thick books and wasn't obsessed with the complicated

astronomy titles, I would never step into this area. I would've skated with my socks on with my classmates or played marbles in the hole in the sand after classes.

I'd usually chill out here, drawing random things in my sketching books or chatting with Ket while he read. It was joyous just to sit side by side, then I'd read something to kill time, books about dinosaurs, sea animals, or mysterious space. Unlike me, Ket would read every astronomy title and never get bored with rereading them.

 

After a while, our preferences changed. I started to feel unbothered about playing outside and getting dirty. In the ninth grade, I'd rather take a nap or draw, behaving like a sloth. I used to be a chatterbox, but now I'd only chat with Ket to the point our classmates noticed. They often teased that Ket and I had swapped our personalities. The other boy became more talkative and sociable, though he kept his true self hidden, as if he had to socialise. You can't deny that hierarchy exists in school. It's necessary to have lots of friends.

 

The last period on Thursday evening is free. Some classmates group up to play games. Some play outside. Some are at the basketball court, soccer field, or cafeteria. No one is cooped up in the library. Except me. I've come here to enjoy the cool breeze. When the weather is pleasant, the librarian will open the windows to let the wind blow inside to rid the humidity. Today, all windows are left open.

 

Yawning, I lean forward onto the regular table in the corner of the library and gaze at the swaying pink flowers outside the window. Besides the view from the classroom, the view from the library is also lovely. The flipping pages relax my ears. The chirping birds sound like music, a natural song lulling me, making me yawn. Thankfully, the high schoolers aren't here to make a loud noise. Thankfully, the librarian doesn't have to scold those rude children, despite the sign that reads, 'Keep your voice down.'

 

The silence makes my eyes slide shut before I hear someone's footsteps behind me. The reek of sweat after playing sports wafts in the wind. When mixed with the scent of his regular fabric softener, it smells better than the yucky sweat of other classmates. I know who it is right away.

 

"You're taking a nap here again."

 

Ket sits next to me. I slowly open my eyes to the boy in front of me. When our eyes meet, I laugh.

 

"What? Do you own this area?" I grumble, my eyes locked on his dishevelled hair.

On the first day we met, Ket was a fragile, tiny kid who couldn't fight back, which led to him constantly being bullied by the older boys. And I was always the one protecting him, though we weren't that different in size. After getting bullied and witnessing me bleed from the punches several times, Ket decided to change himself.

 

The boy, who had never wanted a problem with anyone, started fighting back. Ket ate more than usual, made more friends, and worked out every evening. In the eighth grade, Ket was slightly shorter than me. Now, he's around three centimetres taller. He's built up some muscles in his arms that used to be lanky. His legs are long and strong. His tiny shoulders have grown incredibly broad. He's grown up again. Another step ahead of me. stretch my arms left and right to shake off the grogginess, staring at the boy flapping his shirt to cool off.

 

"You're drenched in sweat."

 

"The high schoolers challenged us."

 

"How did it go?"

Ket smiles. "We won."

 

"Cool."

 

I'm never jealous that Ket grows up every day without waiting for me. only feel proud that the boy before me is growing bigger and stronger. Ket has said many times that he wished to protect me, but I never thought he would go as far as to change himself.

Despite the change in his appearance, I'm the only one knowing Ket is still the same.

 

"Aren't you going to play outside?"

 

"Nah~"

 

I rest my chin in the palm of my hand in boredom, watching Ket wipe his face with the hem of his shirt.

 

"I suppose you can protect me now that you're this good." I take pleasure in teasing him.

 

"Not yet."

 

"Why?" I poke the slightly visible muscles on his arm. "You're getting bulky."

 

"I want to be as strong as you."

 

"I'm so skinny. How do I beat you?"

 

"You're small but have a big heart." Ket smiles.

 

The ninth grader's smile looks much more mature. The innocent smile on the first day we met has been replaced by a warm smile that makes my cheeks burn. A strange shyness forms in my chest. A distorted cloud floats above my head. My body feels heavy and light at the same time.

 

"Kieng."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Are you shy?"

 

The honest question slips out of Ket's mouth. I blink at him stupidly. Shyness. ve never felt this way before. Since I confessed my feelings, we've never discussed whether we should do something special to show we like each other. Being together every day is already special to us. However, shyness is now involved. Maybe our feelings become clearer as we grow older. I don't like him as a friend to hang out with. I don't like him for his blue aura, my favourite colour. I don't like him for his warm heart.

 

I like him because my heart races every time our eyes meet. I like him even more when he takes care of me. I like it when he teases me or gives me simple compliments like, "You're good at drawing,' "Your eyes are pretty, You're amazing,' or, 'You're super brave.' I don't know what this moment is, but we hold each other's gazes longer than usual. hear pages flipping clearly in my ears. I hear birds chirping to one another outside, even though it's evening. They must be flying back to their nests. I hear footsteps coming in and out of the library, but no one comes to this area.

 

Ket leans closer until he can feel his warm breath, which shows he drank his favourite blue soda after the match to freshen up. He's so close that the heat from his body spreads all around us. Our noses touch, and we pull away slightly. The first attempt fails due to a lack of experience, but we don't mention that. We lean toward each other for the second time. Learning from the mistake, Ket tilts his sharp nose that poked mine earlier to the right, closing the gap between our lips.

 

Nervous, I grip Ket's sleeves. His sports shirt isn't wet. It's completely dry as if they've never been drenched in sweat. I clutch my fists around the fabric before the touch on my lips makes me close my eyes. Soft is the first thing I feel. Ket's lips are soft like jelly. Neither of us moves. It's a soft kiss, lips on lips. The next thing I feel is wetness. When Ket moves his lips again, the smell of blue soda intensifies. Ket probably smells the orange-flavoured Fanta I had before taking a nap here as well.

 

The pages flip again as the wind drifts inside. We withdraw our lips lingeringly. My hands slide down to clutch the shirt over his chest. My face flushes. Our first kiss happened in the library. No more innocence of thirteen-year-old boys. Our relationship has taken another step.

 

"Why did you kiss me?" I ask, breaking the silence between us. Ket puts his finger on my lips, tracing them with his beautiful, long finger that I love to watch when he spins his pen. Only the touch from his fingertip can make me this flustered.

 

"I wanted to kiss you because your lips are pretty."

 

"That's it?"

 

"Because you blushed when I complimented you."

 

I laugh before pausing right away when Ket stares into my eyes.

 

"I wanted to kiss you because I liked you."

 

My face burns as if I'm sitting in the sunlight.

 

"Kieng."

 

"Hmm?" I hum softly.

 

"Will you be my boyfriend?"

 

The moment I hear those words, the world seems to stop spinning. Indeed, we've been dating since the seventh grade, but we kept our relationship hidden from everyone, including our classmates, parents, and my siblings. Only we knew our relationship had been much more than friends for a long time. Even so, neither of us called the other our boyfriend until we were in the ninth grade. We've grown up and learned that our feelings for each other… They're more than just 'like.'

 

"Yeah. I'll be your boyfriend."

Our second confession.

Love that's sincere and open.

Love with a clear status.

The honesty of the youth is incredible.