Chapter 60 Secret No More

Sitting in the spacious open gymnasium, many young college students cheered as they watched the volleyball players walk into the court. The atmosphere today is no different than it was many years ago. Hearing the cheers really brought Santichai back to his short youth. At that time, Asnee, Decha and he were very close friends. Asnee and Decha are his only friends, and even so, it's enough for him to have two good friends. Sometimes he wants to go back to that rainy night and refuse to accept Asnee as his boyfriend, maybe now, he'll sit on the other side of the stand and cheer with Asnee and Decha.

Santichai was deep in his thought when a hand hit his left shoulder. He looked to his left and saw Pim.

Pim smiled and asked, "We invited you, but you told us you weren't coming with us. So why are you here? Who is important enough for you to accept their invitation?" She raised an eyebrow at Santichai.

Santichai said, "I was invited by a coach from another university."

Pim asked, "You know him?"

Santichai said, "I study at that university in my first year of college. I used to help the volleyball team. I can't say no to him because this year is his last game. He's going to retire at the end of the year."

Pim smiled and nodded, "Ah…no wonder."

Santichai asked, "Where is Pam?"

Pim smiled and said, "She went shopping for some junk food." She giggled. She looked down to see Pamela climbing up the stairwell. "Speaking of the devils."

Pamela went to the row where Santichai and Pim were sitting. She was surprised to see Santichai. Pamela smiled and said, "Didn't you say you weren't coming?"

"He was invited by one of the coaches down there," Pim said as he left Santichai. She tapped on the bench. "Sit between us so we can eat your junk foods."

Pamela walked past Santichai and sat between Santichai and Pim. "If you call these junk foods, don't eat them," she said. She handed Santichai the caramel-salted popcorn.

Pim frowned and reached for the popcorn. "Hey, don't be stingy. Remember it's my money. I deserve an equal share." She grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth.

Pamela said, "Here is your soda." She turned to Santichai. "Sorry, I didn't know you were here, so I didn't get you something to drink."

Santichai said, "It's okay." Santichai looked down to see KK walking up the stairs with their drinks and chips.

KK walked up the small stairs and sat next to Santichai beside the walkway. He handed the cup holder to Santichai. He turned around and asked, "Do you want to eat your taro chips now?"

Santichai said, "No."

Pim and Pamela looked over and Pim asked, "Chai, who is he?"

Santichai said, "KK, these two are the nongs in my class."

KK smiled and said, "Nice to meet you."

Pim stood up and said, "Hello, I'm Pim. Your name?"

KK said, "Klaew Kla."

Pim smiled and said, "Handsome and polite." She giggled. "You are totally my type of man."

As the ball was severed to the opposing side, it was an ace, which was the set point and there was no need to play three sets as Coach Somchai's team had won two of their three matches. The audiences sitting in the gymnasium cheered as the players walked off the court to shake hands.

Decha, who was sitting in the last row, looked at Asnee and said, "You told me you weren't coming. Thank goodness Ai Chai didn't show up."

Asnee said, "You said he'd come with his boyfriend."

"What are you going to do if he does come with his boyfriend," Decha said.

Asnee breathed heavily, "Nothing." He stood up.

Decha grabbed Asnee's hand and said, "Hey, Ai Nee, I know that's a lie. It's not like I only know you. From the tone of your voice, I know if Ai Chai's boyfriend comes with Ai Chai, you are definitely going to be throwing punches."

Asnee stood up and started walking down the stairs. He frowned frantically, "What a waste of time."

Decha quickly followed Asnee down the stairs, but they were walking towards the exit with many of the students on the court. Asnee suddenly stopped in the middle of the pitch.

Decha asked, "What's the matter?" He looked at Asnee, who was short of breath, and stared at the four people walking in front of them. "Ai Nee…" Asnee already rushed forward, grabbed Santichai's hand, and dragged him out of the volleyball court. Decha closed his eyes. "Oh shit! Ai Nee!"

Santichai's hands are suddenly pulled away, and the soda falls to the floor. He turned around, only glanced at KK, and was dragged out the door. Santichai only heard KK call his name once. He turned to look at the man who was dragging him off the volleyball court and was startled to see Asnee pushing the man in front of him away.

Santichai tried unsuccessfully to remove Asnee's fingers from his wrist. Asnee's grip was so strong that he felt the circulation in his left hand had cut off and his fingers started to tingle.

Santichai fights, "Asnee...Asnee...let me go..."

Asnee drags Santichai down the next hallway and toward the door behind the gym. He opened the door and pushed Santichai to the ground. He frantically looked down at Santichai. The more he looked at him, the angrier he became. He grabbed Santichai by the collar and nailed Santichai to the wall by the door.

Asnee frantically said, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Santichai burst into tears, "Please let me go..."

Asnee wrapped his arms around Santichai tightly and buried his face in Santichai's chest. He whimpered and said, "Chai...I never want to break up with you...I'm sorry...I really miss you...Please take me back..." He pressed his body against Santichai's body, and kissed Santichai lightly on the lips. He rested his forehead on Santichai's. "Chai... Shall we get back together?"

KK chased Santichai and the man through the corridor, but because there were too many people on his way, he had to move around the students, and by the time he got to the open space, Santichai and the man had disappeared. He didn't know which way to go because he wasn't familiar with the layout of the university and all the corridors looked the same. He had a hard time finding where he was. He decided to climb up to the second floor. From the window on the second floor, he saw another man nailing Santichai to the wall and starting to kiss Santichai. In a fit of rage, he rushed down the stairs and headed for the back exit of the gym.

Santichai can smell the fainting coconut shampoo scent from Asnee. The smell he always missed. He can taste the perfume on Asnee's body at the tip of his tongue, the familiar scent, sometimes when he misses Asnee, he sprays it on the pillow and sleeps with his pillow in his arms. His trembling lips began to move as the sudden fear and desire left his body. He whispered, "I'm sorry…I can't accept your request."

Asnee shrank his head back and glared at Santichai, "Why? Chai...my love for you hasn't changed since the day we met?"

Santichai said, "My feelings have changed..."

Asnee shook his head, "You're lying."

Santichai knew it was a lie to tell Asnee that he had moved on, and that he had no feelings for Asnee. In fact, he was trying to move on, one step at a time, knowing that returning to Asnee would not do him any good. He tried hard not to let himself go back to where he was. He smiled with tears in his eyes, "Asnee, I'm grateful you remember me, but today is not yesterday. We are no longer the two young men who believed the world was full of cupcakes and rainbows... Time can't go back and we will never go back to our carefree youth."

The answer Santichai gave him was not the answer he expected from Santichai. He said, "I've said sorry, what more do you need me? Huh?"

"Asnee, please, the restraining order has not been lifted," Santichai said.

Asnee slammed Santichai against the wall, "How dare you say that. Did you really put a restraining order on me?" He grabbed Santichai by the neck and squeezed. "You…" Looking at Santichai's struggling face, he wanted to free his hand from Santichai's neck, but his hands refused to let go. He himself couldn't understand why he had changed recently. In the past, he could endure such occasions, but now, any trivial matter would make him vent out his inner demons.

Santichai quickly grabbed Asnee's hand, "Let go...go..." He started coughing. "Asnee...what's wrong with you?"

The back door to the gym opened and KK punched Asnee. KK punched Asnee in the right cheek and Asnee stumbled back a few steps. KK turned his attention to Santichai. Furious, Asnee punched KK, hitting KK in the left chest, knocking KK to the ground. He was about to kick KK when Santichai suddenly pushed him away. Santichai helps KK get up.

Santichai asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

KK snorted painfully and chuckled, "Your ex…dammit…he's punch is too strong..."

Asnee gritted his teeth, "Klaew Kla Suwannarat…"

KK turned around and was stunned to see Asnee staring at him angrily. KK snorted, "Asnee?"