Selcouth Wakings | brightwin |

H: 02

"What do you mean I won't be paired with you any longer?" Bright frowns the moment he settles at his favorite upper aisle at the inclined lecture hall.

Off snickers at the younger's confusion before nodding his head out front. It was early for them, which was unusually outstanding to be seated already before their professor could get there. But it also didn't matter because Off in his third year, had to re-take the class again for the second time around.

"You know I work well with you." Bright complained while his mind ran with possible approaches he could pull off to find a new partner.

"You do but maybe he doesn't that's why I needed to let you go."

"Off, what the fuc—" But the profanity died on Bright's lips when he finally faced the direction of Off's nodding only to feel the little air he has being knocked out of him. Just like that.

He was standing there. A timid smile, plain polo shirt almost identical to his and a pair of washed out jeans that made him look taller and maybe he probably was if Bright remembered correctly.

Gone were the high pitched laughs from that time and in place was a calculated smile that almost looked quivering as he stood in front of everyone while his pale hands subtly played with each fingers. A hand signaled him to move forward just as he opened his mouth to announce a voice that Bright already heard but for the first time as well.

"Uh hello," A strained laugh came out of his pouted lips while he shifted on both his feet. "I'm a first year student under Architecture."

And in hurried steps, Bright watched him walk the rest of the way to the middle aisle where he settled quietly.

The bell rang, their professor's voice commenced a chapter reading they weren't able to finish but Bright remained rooted with his line of sight.

"That kid is going to melt the more you creep on him like this. Get over it and wait until class ends." Off flicked a finger against his forehead, forcing him to tear his gaze away. "He's cute to you?"

"What are you—no." Bright answered too quickly before forcing out a cough to look away. There was a visible struggle he already led but the thought of everything becoming real before his eyes was scaring him to a degree he couldn't explain.

"He seems like a quiet kid."

"He's not." Bright wanted it to be a slip of his mouth but it wasn't. There was a finality in his tone, the kind you tend to have when you're stating a closing argument that you're so sure of.

Off opened his mouth, ready to retaliate at what Bright just concluded but he noticed everyone starts to get up and exchange seats. The textbooks were being closed along with some opened laptops while his heart dropped at the sight.

"You're such a rattle mouth, Chivaree. Look, we missed the chapter reading." Off complained before eyeing his new partner from across the study hall. "Good luck with that new kid then."

"Good luck with yours," Bright pointed out when he was able to spot the small upperclassmen that Off was paired with. "I heard his rattle mouth is louder than mine. Say your prayers, Jumpol."

"Say yours as we— shit, I'm coming Atthaphan!"

Bright at the peak entertainment of the scene, belts out his untamed laughter; too oblivious at the silent figure that was already camped out beside him.

"Bright Chivaree?"

Then like a battery spillage, he stopped while his chest started.

"I'm a, your newly assigned partner I guess...well my name—"

He was sure that if circumstances were different, he would be in a hospital suffering a whiplash from the sudden turn of his head; and in a breathy sigh he was finally able to mutter the name he can only pronounce at dawn.

"Yeah, Win. Your name is Win."

Surprise gnawed on the familiar stranger's face that Bright sees when he sleeps. At the curve of his confused smile came a brittle laugh that made both their hands twitch.

"Um, it's nice to meet you." Offering another laugh that always came so easy, he settled beside Bright who was quick to scoot over for a better space.

"Have we met before then?" Bright stops at this when the frown never ceased on the other's face; contradicting the smile he was supplying the older.

"Honestly, you just look familiar to me."

"Yeah?" Win laughs again and Bright was starting to get mad at himself for counting it.

They moved closer, both hands perched on top of their textbooks that should be opened yet there they were: communicating a dialogue through their eyes that they memorized way before they even crossed paths.

"What page was it?" His voice was the same in his dream.

Bright blindly reached to open his textbook while his finger hooked on a random page; not taking his eyes off Win who shyly looked down to open his own.

"page 143,"

The sun set yesterday momentarily flashed in Bright's mind as he was reminded of the sky and how it resembled Win's cheeks at the moment.

"That's a very expressive set of numbers." Win timidly settles before risking a side glance at Bright after he stopped at the page. "But sometimes it means something else, right?"

Uncomfortably, Bright struggles to drive himself back to Earth. The question made him repulsive to blurt words out—the kind he never imagined to say during first meetings. But when things get out of a normal orbit, maybe then it wasn't so wrong to crash around as it will happen inevitably.

"It does." Turning his head at his new acquaintance, Bright was sure that maybe the universe was aligning for him this time; and perhaps in its own peculiar way.

Then in silence they started reading while their knees brushed against the other from time to time.