WHYARU, Chapter 02:

“Professor Su’s class is so damn boring. I tried paying attention, but I still ended up falling asleep,” Day grumbled, not stopping since they left the classroom.

“But we saw you sleeping in every class, not just Professor Su’s,” Tutor teased.

“Well, I was sleepy, alright?” Tutor shook his head and turned to their other friend, who was walking with his head buried in his phone.

“What about you, Saifah? Going to football practice?”

“Nah, my legs are still sore. It’ll be a while before I can get back to training,” Saifah replied.

“And you, Day? Got basketball practice today?”

“With a basketball in my hand like this, I’m probably off to swim, right?” Day shot back sarcastically.

“…”

“Chill, I’m going to basketball practice. But what about you?”

“You’re going to the alumni code party tonight, right?”

“Mm,” Tutor nodded.

“You gonna change first? You can’t show up to the party in your student uniform like that.”

“Too lazy to change. Can’t I just go like this and wait at the shop?”

“You’re joking, right, Tor?” Day’s tone was exasperated, and Saifah shook his head in disapproval. “If you don’t care about your own image, at least think of the university’s reputation.”

“But I…”

Splash!

Suddenly, water from a puddle by the roadside splashed hard onto Tutor and his friends on the sidewalk. Day and Saifah dodged in time, barely getting wet, but Tutor took the full hit.

“Tor, your clothes…” Day started.

“Yeah, I know,” Tutor cut him off, wiping the water from his face. Seeing that the car that just drove by—and was now stuck in traffic—hadn’t bothered to stop and apologize, Tutor’s anger flared. Without thinking twice, he grabbed the basketball from Day’s hand and hurled it at the car with all his might.

Boom!

“Damn, what a shot! Wanna join my basketball club, Tor?”

“Nope.”

“But hold up, wasn’t that Phii Fai’s car you just chucked the ball at?” Before Day could finish, the car’s owner stepped out, looking less than pleased. But sorry, shouldn’t I be the one pissed off? I’m soaked here!

And his two friends, the moment Fighter raised an eyebrow as if asking who threw the ball, both immediately pointed at him.

Fighter locked eyes with him, then glanced at his drenched state with a hint of surprise.

Why the surprise? I’m this soaked because of you, aren’t I?

“Thanks for the ride, Fai,” Saifah said as Fighter’s car pulled up in front of his dorm. Saifah unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his backpack.

Earlier, Fighter had dropped Day off at the basketball court before driving Saifah to his dorm.

“No big deal. My bad for getting you guys wet,” Fighter said.

“Me and Day didn’t get hit too bad, but someone took the brunt of it,” Saifah said, nodding smugly toward the guy in the back, who was not only soaked but also the target of his teasing grin.

Find it funny, do you, Saifah?

“Alright, I’m off then, Phii Fai. Catch you later,” Saifah said, probably noticing his sour expression and quickly excusing himself.

“Yeah,” Fighter replied. Not long after Saifah got out, he looked at Tutor through the rearview mirror.

“Come sit up front.”

“Nah, I’m good here.”

“I’m not your chauffeur, Tor. Get up front.”

“…”

“Now.” Normally, Fighter wasn’t the type to force anyone, but with this code-line junior, every encounter seemed to spark irritation.

“Fine, fine,” Tutor grumbled, getting out and reluctantly moving to the front seat.

Fighter glanced at the guy who’d just opened the car door.

Tutor immediately hugged himself, shivering as the AC hit him. Truthfully, Fighter didn’t need to adjust the car’s temperature— it was fine for him. But seeing the pale guy next to him trembling and clutching himself so tightly, Fighter finally decided to turn up the heat. He also took off his shop jacket and tossed it to the person beside him.

“What’s this?”

“The shop jacket.”

“I know, but…”

“Put it on, come on, stop whining,” Fighter said, then ignored his passenger and focused on the road ahead instead.

Tutor pursed his lips slightly. Part of him wanted to toss Fighter’s jacket back, but it was genuinely cold. So, he just pulled the faculty garage jacket over himself, burying more than half his face in it.

The faint scent of cologne clung to his nose—mysterious and intriguing. If even the cologne could say so much about its owner, Tutor couldn’t help but wonder what was so mysterious and intriguing about Fighter himself.

Tutor sneaked a glance at the older guy’s profile, studying his sharp features and defined jawline, perfectly complemented by a silver earring.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Tutor quickly denied, as Fighter suddenly turned to meet his gaze, like he was questioning something. He hadn’t meant to stare—just got lost thinking about the cologne and ended up looking at his face. In the end, the smaller guy turned away to watch the chaotic streets filled with cars, and silence settled in. No music, no conversation between them. But Tutor couldn’t tell if he was imagining it, or if this time, the silence didn’t feel as awkward as usual.

It took Fighter nearly thirty minutes to navigate the traffic from Saifah’s dorm to drop Tutor off at his. The younger guy grabbed his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and opened the car door to leave without so much as a thank you. Did Fighter understand Tutor’s actions? Honestly, yeah. If he’d been the one soaked by roadside puddles like that, he’d be way more pissed.

“Tor, wait!” Fighter remembered something, rolled down the passenger window, and shouted after the guy who’d just walked off. He’d meant to apologize for getting him wet, but his stubborn tongue and the sight of his shop jacket in Tutor’s hand made him switch topics. “My jacket… give it back.”

“Your jacket?” Tutor looked at the shop jacket in his hands.

“Oh, it’s wet, so I was gonna wash it first.”

“No need, I’ll wash it myself.”

“But…”

“I said give it back, Tor.” Fighter didn’t yell, just lowered his voice and tilted his head. Their eyes locked again, and the defiance in Tutor’s gaze was brimming with irritation— mirroring his own.

Fighter wasn’t sure when this mutual annoyance started.

Maybe from the first day of freshman initiation when he wrote Tutor’s name wrong. Or maybe later, when the younger guy said he wanted to switch mentor lines.

   He couldn’t pinpoint it, but it was a mix of irritation and… something else.

   Whatever it was, Fighter didn’t care to find out.

   “Fine, take it then.” The smaller guy tossed the jacket back into the car, shot him an annoyed look for a moment, then turned and walked back to his dorm.

“And don’t forget the mentor group party tonight, got it,

Tor?!”

“…”

It’s exactly that arrogant attitude that makes him not want to get close to this guy.

The atmosphere in the restaurant, with its thumping music and chaotic noise, made Tutor want to bolt back to his dorm. He’d already told his mentor group he didn’t like crowds, but the majority voted for this place, so here he was.

Tutor closed his eyes slowly, one hand rubbing the spot between his brows, hoping to ease some of the exhaustion.

Not unlike someone else fed up with the lively party, Fighter wasn’t the social type who enjoyed chatting with others. Despite his outgoing, party-loving vibe, he actually hated chaos. Normally, when hanging with close friends, they’d pick a quiet spot for talking, not a noisy, headache-inducing place like this. “Tor…” Hwahwa called, nudging the person next to her to turn around.

Fighter watched as Hwahwa spoke to her close friend with a concerned tone. He’d noticed Tutor rubbing his temples in exhaustion the whole time. But when Hwahwa nudged him, Tutor quickly turned and flashed a smile, his earlier fatigue vanishing instantly. It made Fighter think his earlier suspicion— that Tutor had a thing for Hwahwa—was probably true.

Whatever.

Fighter let out a frustrated sigh, stood up, and walked out of the restaurant.

“You okay?” Hwahwa asked Tutor, noticing her friend didn’t seem too great.

“I’m fine. When are you heading back, Hwa… wanna leave now?”

“Still better. I’m having fun, and Phii Fai…” Hwahwa turned to look at the spot next to her, only to find it empty. “Where’d he go?”

“Dunno,” Tutor replied.

“Did he just leave or what? How did I not notice?” she asked.

“I don’t know either,” Tutor said.

“Or maybe he’s been gone for a while?”

“Not sure.” Tutor hadn’t noticed where Fighter went. He’d been too caught up talking with Hwahwa to pay attention to the other guy.

“Whatever, he’ll probably be back soon,” Hwahwa said, then turned to chat with a first-year student’s boyfriend sitting across from her. Meanwhile, Tutor closed his eyes slowly, trying to focus and block out the music blaring in his ears.

He really wanted to go back to the dorm. Like, right now.

Tutor thought to himself before opening his eyes to look at his close friend. He called her name again.

“Hwa, I was thinking of—”

“Tor, I think Phii Fai’s been gone for a while, hasn’t he?”

“Has he?”

“Cho—”

“Probably just in the bathroom,” Tutor cut in.

“But it’s been too long, don’t you think?”

“So?”

Hwahwa pursed her lips cutely and gave him a pleading look. If he had to guess, she was about to ask him to go find Phii Fai.

“Go look for Phii Fai for me, please?”

“Why don’t you go find him yourself?”

“Well… what if he’s in the men’s bathroom? Come on, go check for me, please… please, Tor. I’m worried he might be drunk and passed out in there. That’d be bad, right?”

“He’s probably not that bad off.”

“But what if he is?”

“…”

“Please, Tor, go check on Phii Fai for me… pretty please?”

“Ugh, fine, I’ll go find him.” As always, it was Tutor who gave in. Maybe because he’d been indulging her since they were kids, and even now, he still did.

Truth be told, he didn’t mind doing these things for Hwahwa. To him, she was still his most important friend. Part of it came from the bond they’d built since childhood, but another part stemmed from something that happened back in elementary school.

An event he’d never forget in this lifetime… the sound of sobbing, the endless stream of tears, or even the small hand that slipped into the gap by the bed, gripping his tightly. He’d never forget it.

Tutor vividly remembered that day… he and Hwahwa were playing behind the house, and it was he who climbed the tree.

Even though Hwahwa had warned him not to, he climbed anyway, only to fall and pass out. He had no idea what happened next, waking up in the hospital.

But one thing Tutor always remembered was Hwahwa’s small hand reaching to hold his, her face streaked with tears. She showed no signs of stopping her sobs, her voice trembling as she begged him not to do it again. The guilt from climbing the tree was already heavy, but what came after hit even harder.

His mother later told him that Hwahwa had carried his limp body back to the house, despite being smaller than him. He couldn’t even imagine how someone as tiny as Hwahwa managed it. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why she didn’t just run inside to get help instead of dragging him in like that. And maybe that’s why—it’s all etched into Tutor’s memory and emotions forever.

It’s stuck there, never fading, a special feeling he can’t quite put into words. But it’s special.

Always special to him.

Tutor wandered to the back of the shop, scanning for the other person who’d vanished. Eventually, he spotted Fighter sitting in a quiet corner, playing on his phone. Fighter’s expression was blank, showing no eagerness to rush back into the shop. Seeing this, Tutor couldn’t help but sigh.

He couldn’t understand why someone like this was hanging out with his friend.

“Phii Fai,” Tutor called out to the guy engrossed in his phone, who looked up. “Why are you sitting out here? Why not go keep

Hwa company?”

After speaking, Tutor leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed, staring at the person in front of him who had now returned to his phone.

“Phii Fai… did you hear my question?”

“I heard.”

“Then why aren’t you answering?” The taller guy looked up at his code-line junior, visibly annoyed by how invested he seemed in his life.

“I saw your friend having a blast chatting with you. Doesn’t seem like she needs me to keep her company.”

“Even if that’s true, as the one who brought Hwa here, you should do more than just leave her with someone else.”

“The ‘someone else’ you’re talking about is you, isn’t it, Tor?”

“I mean other people, not me. If I leave first, who’s gonna stay with Hwa, Phii?”

“…”

“I know… you and Hwa are just flirting, but shouldn’t you take better care of her?” Fighter raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, because just before this, Tutor had thought he and Hwahwa were actually dating.

“She told you about me and her, huh?”

“Yeah… she did.”

“If she told you, then you should get why. So why are you still asking me?”

“Who said I get it? I don’t understand at all. I don’t get why you invited Hwa to this event when you don’t even care or pay attention to her.”

“…”

“What are you thinking? Honestly, if you don’t have any feelings for my friend, stop stringing her along like this. Let her go find someone better.”

“You think I’m the one holding her back with our current situation? Hah, that’s rich,” Fighter shook his head, chuckling, unable to believe Tutor would think that.

“If you’re not holding her back, then why keep things like this? Is it fun or something, this non-relationship status? Are you actually happy with this vague, undefined thing?”

Tutor didn’t understand, and he never would, what this nameless relationship was about. With Hwahwa, whom he’d known for so long, he was already shocked when she called to tell him about it. But when she said it was just to get back at Zon, that surprised him even more. He wasn’t sure if what Hwahwa said was true, because her refusal to step away from this relationship made him wonder if she actually liked Fighter for real.

   “What happens between me and Hwa, or what status we’re in, is none of your business, is it?” Fighter started to walk away.

 

It is…” But Tutor stepped in his way. “Because the person you’re talking to is my friend.”

“Hmph,” Fighter let out a scoff and smirked, amused. “You sure you only see her as a friend?”

“And you? Are you sure this thing you’re giving Hwa is just some casual comfort from talking? Or is it because you’re trying to mess with me or get to Zon?”

“Get to Zon, someone like you? Hah,” Fighter laughed mockingly. “Who do you think you are, Tor? Getting a bit too full of yourself, aren’t you? You think someone like me would bother messing with a predictable guy like you?”

“Phii Fai.”

“Or am I wrong?” His taunting expression started to piss Tutor off.

“If you say it’s not about that, then there’s only one reason left for why you’re doing this.”

“…”

“You’re hiding something.”

“Hiding?” Fighter froze for a moment before turning to face

Tutor again. “What do you think I’m hiding?”

The tall guy’s glare was both intimidating and scary, his voice low and heavy. Tutor admitted he was afraid of the person in front of him, but his anger toward Fighter was too much. He ended up saying something without thinking.

“Who knows what you’re hiding? Maybe…” Tutor smirked provocatively.

“…”

“Maybe you’re hiding that you like guys.”

“Tor!” Fighter’s voice boomed louder than usual.

“Isn’t that right, Phii Fai? You like guys, don’t you?” Tutor didn’t stop. “If you like guys, just admit it straight up. No need to hide like this.”

“You little…”

“It’s not hard to just say you like guys. And you don’t need to date a girl as a cover either.”

“Tor!”

“Just say it and be done with it. It’s normal these days.

Everyone’s cool with it. But if you’re too scared to admit it…”

“…”

“I can tell Hwa for you, that you—mmph!” Frustrated by Tutor’s nonstop talking, Fighter finally shut him up with a forceful kiss.

His hands cupped Tutor’s face, adjusting it to match his angle.

His lips pressed hard against the softer ones, driven by anger.

   Phii … Phii Fai… mmph!” When there was a brief moment to breathe, Tutor tried pushing him away several times, but Fighter wouldn’t stop. In the end, Tutor mustered all his strength and shoved Fighter’s chest hard.

“Enough!!!” Tutor wiped his lips with disgust as soon as he spoke. Fighter, realizing what he’d done, also wiped his own lips, equally confused.

“What the hell’s wrong with you? Why’d you do that?!”

“And what’s wrong with you? Running your mouth like that!”

“But you shouldn’t have done that! So, you do like guys, right?”

“You’re bringing this up again? You’re not dropping it, are you?” Fighter stepped toward Tutor menacingly, while Tutor quickly clamped his mouth shut and slowly backed away.

Swallowing hard, Tutor’s mind was a mess. He had no idea if Phii Fai kissed him out of anger, to mess with him, or because he actually liked guys. In the end, Tutor turned to walk away, but his hand was grabbed by the other guy first.

“You better not tell anyone about this!” Tutor frowned, confused, but yanked his hand free and stormed off immediately. “Tor!!!”

Tutor walked back into the shop with a jumble of emotions he couldn’t quite pin down. He didn’t know what to do, wasn’t even sure if he should tell Hwahwa…

“Tor, how’d it go? Where’s Phii Fai? Not coming back with you?” Hwahwa asked as Tutor returned to the table, her eyes still scanning for the person she mentioned, darting around constantly.

“He’ll probably be back soon,” Tutor replied.

“Oh,” Hwahwa nodded, then turned to look at Tutor again. But his intense stare made her wonder if he had something to ask. Not only was he staring without blinking, but he also let out a frustrated sigh. “What’s up, Tor? Why so serious? And your brows are all knotted up. What’re you thinking about?”

“…”

“Tor?”

“…I’ve got something I wanna ask you, Hwa.”

“What’s that?”

“How much do you actually like Phii Fai?”

“Huh? Why the sudden question?”

“Just curious.”

“Hmm…” Hwahwa went quiet, mulling over his question for a while. “Honestly, I don’t even know if it’s a lot or a little. I’m not even sure if I like him. Like I told you before, maybe I just want to one-up Zon more than anything with Fai.”

“You sure that’s all it is?”

Not really sure, to be honest. But I don’t want to stop talking to him right now. If I end things before he even asks me out officially, I’d look like such a fool. But, Tor… is something up?”

Hwahwa asked, staring into Tutor’s eyes as if trying to catch him out.

“Oh, nah, just asking,” Tutor said with a forced smile to brush it off.

“You’re asking because you’re worried you’re not important anymore, huh?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t worry, Tutor. To me, you’re the most important person in the whole world!” Hwahwa said with a wide, playful smile. Tutor shook his head at her, amused, before standing up as if signaling he was ready to leave.

“Heading back already?”

“Yeah. Wanna come with? I can take a taxi and drop you off.”

“No need. I’ll have Phii Fai take me. As for you, Tor, if you wanna head back, go for it. It’s getting late.”

“Then I’ll leave the beer money with you, okay?” Tutor said, pulling cash from his wallet and handing it to Hwahwa.

“Who said second-years have to cover the faculty dinner? It’s the graduates and fourth-years who should pay, Tor. You’re so clueless. Hurry up and put that money away before the seniors see and think you’re being stingy!”

“Is that so? But last year, I saw second-years chipping in too.”

“You’re delusional, Tor. That never happened. You must’ve seen wrong. Enough already, I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Put your money away and get back to the dorm, shoo!”

“You’re kicking me out, Hwa?”

“Yup, get going!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll head back then.”

“Okay! Text me when you get there!” Tutor smiled and nodded at Hwahwa again before walking away from the table.

As Tutor was leaving, he crossed paths with Fighter. Their eyes met, and in that split second, a certain memory replayed in his mind. Tutor had thought he could easily forget that incident, but seeing Fighter’s face and locking eyes with him brought it all back vividly.

   Tutor didn’t understand why Phii Fai had done that to him. If it was out of anger, the guy should’ve just thrown a punch or fought him.

   But instead, Phii Fai had… Whatever, it didn’t matter to him anyway.

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