09 : Red-handed

"Leo! Chester!" Dave yelled at the corridor catching his breathe with difficulty. He run from his room in 2nd floor to bottom as soon as he heard Steve won in quiz bee.

"Hello pres," the two answered in unison.

The two party met in the stair. Chester and Leo pacing up while him is down. Chester's currently holding Leo's head blocking him to escape.

𝘓𝘦𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

It's always like this. There is no day that these two didn't bickered. When everything is fine, the mood will be spoiled with Leo's stupidity.

"Do you need anything pres— get off Chez!" Leo interfered himself, lightly tapping Chester's chest.

"Ahm," he hesitate but continue anyway, " Do you know where Steve is?"

"Oh Steve! He's in our office. You know crowded place makes him feel sick," Chester answered still holding his friend's head.

"Okay. Thanks. Gotta go!" he run again and left the two behind who of course bickers again.

Today's the 1st day of the program. Most of teacher are busy taking care of their activities together with their club officer. Steve join a quiz bee. It's the first time that he join anything. In his three years in high school Steve never join any activity unless in it's mandatory. He hates exerting his strength for useless activity. He won't gain anything from joining any activity, it's not like you'll have additional grades for participating.

The office is in 3rd year building 4th floor last room. After running for minutes, finally, Dave arrive in the office. He was on opening the door when it open from behind. A girl with a long silky hair and small pretty face welcome him. It's Karina.

"Oh hi pres," she smiled.

Dave got no choice but pay a fake smile, "Hi Karina. May I know what you're doing here?"

"Nothing. I just congratulate Steve for winning the 1st place."

Dave nodded and didn't say anything and Karina feel it. She feel Dave has a grudge on her but she didn't dare to confront. Maybe it's just her who overthink everything.

"I gotta go. See you around pres," again, Dave didn't answer.

"I'm leaving Steve. Congrats again."

"Bye Karina. Thank you!" Steve answered, sitting on the long table wagging his feet on the air. His both hand leaning on the table on his back part.

At last, the two lad were left alone. It's just the two of them in this empty room, in this mute hallway.

"Steve," Dave called closing the gap between them.

Steve gave him a questioning look that he answer with, "can you stand?"

"Now?" the vice president frowned.

"Yes please."

Dave has a serious look plastered in his face so Steve thought it was a serious matter and just do what he was said to. Everything happen so fast, he stand and the second thing he knew Dave is hugging him while tapping his back.

"Dave?" his voice is full of curiosity. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘮?

"Shh. Let your big bro hug yo—

Dave didn't able to finish his sentence when Steve give his stomach a smack punch. A while ago, Steve is fine, his mood is good but it got spoiled because of the bastard laughing while holding its stomach infront of him. Dave sure know how to ruin his mood.

"That hurts," Dave commented.

"Maybe because you're weak that it hurts?"

"You bet? I can knock you down right now right here," Dave defied.

"Deal." Steve attack first.

The two started the friendly fight but on the middle of it Dave starts to tickle him.

"H-hey HAHAHAHAHA STOP," Steve said between his laugh.

Because of the ticklish sensation Steve lost his strength and lay on the floor. Dave grab the chance. Dave topped Steve.

Steve's laughs cover the room and echoed in the hallway as Dave continue to tickle him.

"You're a cheater, get off!" he tried to push Dave away but it's no work because his strength left him long ago.

"Really? But there's no rule means I can do everything," Dave defended himself.

"I said get off," Steve raise his hand aiming the enemy's waist and tickles him.

"H-hey dont." It's too late, Steve starts to tickle him.

Dave starts to laugh and stop from tickling Steve. It's Steve chance to get off Dave as the guy's strength lessen. He rolled and now topping Dave.

"I guess the bet is done. I won," Steve smirked.

"And you have the guts to call me a cheater," Dave place his both hand on his head making it his pillow.

"You started it," Steve excused.

Their eyes met and a complete silent engulf them. The room once filled with laughter from them is now dead silent. The scene seems like fantash. The warm sunset touching their face, the cold wind that tocuhes their skin, the chirps of bird, all of it seems like dream.

𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴.

𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴.

𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮'𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙮𝙥𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚.

"Steve you there—

Steve and Dave flinched hearing Leo's voice. They back to their senses and look at the door where Leo and Chester freeze. They suddenly remember their position. Dave laying on the floor with his hand as his pillow, relaxed, and Steve topping him. Steve get up and move two step away from Dave who do the same.

"Sorry we didn't know you guys were doing something," Chester said maliciously.

It's fun to see two guys blushing because they were caught. It's just like the scene in bl story he read. But he thought Dave's the top, guess he's wrong.

Dave fake a cough and said, " W-we're not doing anything."

Steve closes his eyes when Dave's voice cracked. He feels like they're caught doing something wrong.

"Whatever. By the way, congrats Steve." Leo dropping off the topic.

"T-thank you." Still Steve's a little bit shy for what happen.

"Yeah. We didn't thought you'll join the activity." Chester commented.

"Right. I didn't thought too," Steve agreed.

"What inspire you to join?" Leo asked making him smile.

"Nothing special," he simply lied as he remember the reason why he join.

𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠

"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯? 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘯."

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘴𝘰?" 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘦.

"𝘖𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶," 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦.

𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭. 𝘏𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘬.

"𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘺," 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦'𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴.

"𝘐'𝘮 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦."

"𝘏𝘶𝘩? 𝘞𝘩𝘺? 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦."

"𝘛𝘳𝘺 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶," 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦'𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘩.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, "𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘺."

𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙛 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠.

"You know your smile look suspicious," chester pointed making him flinched.

"Please don't say that. I'm not like you."

"You wicked!" Chester exclaimed.

The remaining time of the 1st day event was spent with the four of them in the office room. Dave didn't now why those two stay but he hope they didn't. He wants to have sometime alone with Steve.

"Dave," Steve called.

He look around only to meet Steve's face. Only an inch left and their nose will touch. Dave gulped. Steve's eyes is prettier in this close. He likes it. He can vividly see his brown eyes and the reflection it make.

𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

Steve feels like he was being push into oblivion. His blue eyes is hypnotizing him. He feel calm. They way his blue eyes and his own reflection combine soothes him. It's the evidence how close they are.

𝘐 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

"Ehem!"

"What the hell?!"

The voice of two young men wakes Dave and Steve up from spacing out. Again, they feel shy for being caught.