Game of Love

Twenty-seven

Can was confused.

He didn't know what's the score between him, and Tin. At the beginning, he wasn't questioning it. Hell, he didn't even bother to think about their status. He was happy, and it was all that matters. He was in love, that's for sure, nobody could convince him otherwise. The eyebags he accumulated by talking to Tin almost every night after the latter dropped him off. Tin often went out of his way to eat lunch with him everyday, or else Tin would inform him in advance if he couldn't make it. Can's lunch just didn't taste the same without Tin so he would come over to Tin's faculty instead, under the pretense that their cafeteria's food were better. They were just some of the proofs he was in love, and Tin certainly felt the same. He knew because he felt it. However, there was no official indication that they are together. For Can, it didn't matter, Tin always spent his free time with him. Tin always showered him with attention and affection, what else he could ask for?

"Label. " Ae declared a matter of factly.

Can brows squinted. "Label? "

"Yes! Label."

"What's that? Is that edible?"

No smacked his head, "Don't you have anything else other than food in your mind?" his voice was a notch higher than usual.

"Other than food? "

Good, No and Ae nodded. They were at the library, not to study but to kill time. Perhaps, sleep if time permits even if not they would nonetheless. It was the coldest, the quietest,and perfect place to take a nap in the campus.

Without pausing a moment to think, Can replied. "Tin. "

His friends' anticipation dissipated in no time. It cringed them to think of how much of a lovesick their friend had become. At first, they were coercing Can to tell them if what was going on between him and Tin. For Tin had become a regular sightings for them around Can. It was like wherever the other goes, the other follows, if not they were together yet.

They have been bugging Can, but the latter had not an inkling idea about the importance of it.

"Label is the status of your relationship. " No, expounded, Can wanted to laugh at how serious he was but ceased himself for he didn't want to get a beating from him.

"We're just friends. "

"Don't use that 'we're-just-friends' card on us, you're not famous to be in denial. " Can understood the reference, cause when he watched Lakorn and actors after publicly flirting, being all sweet and stuff, claimed to be just friends.

"We're friends with feelings? "

"That's so vague. " Ae countered at once, "I have feelings for you too. "

All eyes on Ae in no time as if he spoke of something so scandalous, Can nervously laugh before he apologized. "I'm sorry, I can't return that feeling. "

"Anger, that's what I feel for you Can. "

"If that's the case, we're friends with feelings too. Annoyance. " No fueled up Ae's point.

"Don't worry I feel nothing towards you. " Good exclaimed as if he expected Can to be grateful for it.

"That's a different feeling. " Can reasoned out.

"Exactly, that's why you have to do the DTR. " Ae was so enthusiastic at expounding his point.

"DTR? " the rest in the table probed in chorus, their voices echoed in the library — a collective 'sssshhh' came after. They waiied to apologize before they buried their heads on the table.