The School Idol's Roommate [BL]

That boy (2)

For the following weeks, Liam stole several covert glances to the guy whose name he had not known yet. Not yet. Sooner or later he hoped he would. For now, he was content looking at him from afar. He kept his eyes peeled in all of his classes for any chance that they might be classmates again to no avail.

The only class they both took was such a drag, what's with their strict professor. Liam learned a lot but hated being tense all the time so early in the morning. Waking up on days where he had this class felt like walking into the executioner's den.

But now, Liam looked forward to it. This was his only chance, three times a week, to see the pretty boy. Liam chose a seat closer to where he usually sat, but not too close that anyone would suspect anything. That way, he could not just see him closer, but also, hear his voice. The first time he heard of the guy's voice, Liam felt weird fuzzy feelings. Good kind of weird. His voice was neither high nor low but clear, and it sounded really nice to Liam's ear. From then on, he was always attuned to that voice and could pick it up over the noise of the hall.

"Liam, what are you waiting for? Lecture's finished. Let's go," his friend said.

The lecture ended with him daydreaming the whole time. Again. How many times did this happen already? He dragged himself up, almost bumping to the student passing beside him.

"Aki, you left your book."

The student paused and turned back just a few inches away from Liam. "Oh, right. Sorry." He took his book from his friend and added, "Thanks."

When he faced forward again, his face was close. Liam stood there, unmoving when he realized who it was. The guy -- Aki, shot him a quick glance and then walked past him followed by his friend.

That glance was as good as a rejection. Perhaps he let the name "school idol" get to his head that Liam thought Aki would at least know him. But there was no recognition in that look. Liam was just another student for him. If this was in a school play where Aki was the main actor, Liam was student A, or worst, the tree in the background.

It stung a little, but that was what he got for feeling like a big shot when he was only a nobody. "It would be nice if he really looked, though."

He did not want anyone noticing his secret glances, most especially for Aki to know about this, whatever this was. At the same time, he also wished for Aki to notice him.

The thought made him pause.

'Woah, wait. Why would I want him to look at me?' It did not make sense, right? He decided to perish the thought and went on to his day.

That thought persisted -- haunted -- him, whether he liked it or not. Later in his room, he opened his phone album and stared at the photo again. He did that many times in the past weeks since that day, that now, opening his album was like second nature to him.

"Aki," he said as though testing how that new name rolled off his tongue. Finally, a name to put with this face. He thought that the novelty of the photo would lose its charm once he stared at it long enough or knew quite a bit about the owner of the face. Instead, it intensified even more, not lessening one bit.