I hugged Dan without letting go, making him sit on my lap, then adjusted the embrace to be a little tighter. The tip of my nose touched his shoulder, then his neck, inhaling the sweet scent that somehow made me feel calm. Without realizing it, I gently bit his skin, making him flinch.
"Are you leaving a kiss mark on my body?"
I looked at him. "Just a little," I answered honestly. Dan's fair skin made it easy to see, though not too noticeable, the color still a faint red. "They say it's a way to show that someone is yours."
Dan lowered his head.
"You don't like it? You can leave a kiss mark on me too."
"No... it's fine."
"Why?"
"You have to go to training."
"So why?"
"People will see it."
"You don't want to show that I'm yours?"
"It's not like that," said Dan. I just nodded, understanding what he meant.
"Training time is almost here. Aren't you going?"
"I don't want to go," I whined, reluctant to let go of his embrace. "Can we stay like this all day?"
Dan patted my head gently. "Just wait until your day off."
"I'm free right now."
"No way."
"I'll take time off."
"Haha, you naughty one," Dan ruffled my hair before shifting. Reluctantly, I finally released the hug. "Come on, go train." He then kissed my forehead gently, spreading warmth within me.
"What will you do today?"
"Reading."
"Alright."
"Come on, I'll see you out," said Dan, taking me downstairs. He accompanied me to the door. I looked around to make sure no one was there before stealing a quick kiss on his lips. Dan looked a bit surprised but then smiled.
Seeing his smile made me happy. I walked to the gym as usual.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
While training at the gym, I kept thinking about what we had done this morning. Without realizing it, I was smiling to myself until coach Jab asked me.
"I rarely see you smile like that. Is there something pleasant?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Dan."
"I already suspected that. Not hard to guess," the coach laughed. "You really like him, don't you?"
"That's right... Oh, coach."
"Hm?"
"You went to the same school as Dan, right? Tell me about it."
"Hm," he thought for a moment while I continued training. "First, I met Nao, then Dan. They're opposite twins, but they care for each other a lot. You know how twins are, right?"
"Yes."
"Dan was always a dedicated, calm, kind, sensible, thorough student. All the positive traits in a person exist in Dan. On the contrary, Nao was the opposite," the coach laughed. "He was the only one in class who received a scholarship to study abroad and one of the few students who got perfect scores every semester."
"Scores?"
"You don't know what those are?" he asked, surprised.
"I never went to school."
"Ah, it's a system to measure academic achievement. Assignments and exams are graded, and if you get more than eighty out of a hundred, you'll get the highest grade, which is four. At that time, Dan was extraordinary, everyone was impressed. He got more than ninety in all core subjects."
"Is that difficult?"
"Super difficult. For me, it was very complicated. And in university, it was even worse."
"What grade did you get?"
"Just two."
I nodded. I couldn't imagine what the school system was like, but I started to become interested in Dan's childhood. What did he do when he was my age?
After running, I went for breakfast. I sat alone, but the coach came to join with his plate. At the camp, besides the trainers, he was the kindest to me. He always defended me and taught me many things.
"You're not working today?" I asked.
"I'm taking a break."
"Ah."
"Jayden, what's your plan?"
"Hm?"
"Your salary has increased, you're getting a lot of money from each fight. Do you have a plan?"
"Give it to Dan."
"Hahaha," he laughed while patting his leg. "Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Tiger isn't the only one who's fallen in love," he laughed. "But Dan won't accept it, you know?"
"I know."
"Then what will you do?"
"Save it until Dan needs it."
"You should start thinking about building a family."
"Hm?" I looked at him, interested. "Like Nao and Tiger?"
"Exactly. First, get married..."
"Who's getting married?" Nao's voice came from behind me. Surprised, he immediately sat next to me with curiosity.
"What are you doing here? Ow!" Nao hit his head.
"I came to train. What were you talking about? Are you going to marry Dan?" asked Nao enthusiastically.
"We were just chatting. He's making a lot of money, and I asked what his plans were."
"Aahhh," Nao dragged the word, then whispered while nudging me. "How much does he make? If he can't support Dan, I won't allow it."
"Don't underestimate my champion. Tell him, Jayden."
I answered, and Nao immediately gaped.
"Oh, seriously?"
I nodded.
"Why did your salary increase so much?"
The coach explained while counting on his fingers. "He's talented, undefeated, very popular, increases the program's rating every time he fights."
"Ah, but that's too much."
"Not really," the coach argued while eating. "Soon he'll win the Japan championship."
"And what will you do with the money?"
"What does Nao do with your money?" I asked back.
"Eh, I don't spend a lot of it."
"Lie." the coach interjected. "You get a lot of donations from your streams and your husband is rich." He wore an amused expression.
"Find a rich husband too."
"Ah," the coach didn't know what to say. "I don't even have a partner, I'm already 27."
"Nobody interested at your workplace?" asked Nao. The coach shook his head. "Just relax, don't think too much about it."
"That's said by someone who has a husband and child, a happy family."
"Do you want to have children?"
"A little."
"Jayden, do you want to have children?"
"Children?"
"Yes, like Fei."
"..." I paused for a moment before finally answering honestly. "I'm not sure I can be a good father. I don't want Dan to suffer."
"Don't worry, this one isn't a good father either," the coach pointed at Nao. "He just plays with Fei. Aunt Mew and Dan take care of everything. Otherwise, Fei wouldn't grow into a good child."
"Of course not, I raised him," Nao defended himself then turned to me. "Asking about children to someone who's only 19 is too early. What did I just say? Just forget it for now."
"Do you think Dan wants to have children?"
"Certainly. Dan really likes children."
I nodded. "I'll think about it."
"Good boy," Nao gave me a thumbs up. "Dan will help you with finances. Don't worry about that."
"I was just asking."
"Do you have any special plans for your money?"
"You're starting again."
"You're not calling me 'boss' today? No more respect."
"I don't want to do it today."
"Ah."
"I don't want to buy anything," I answered. "There's nothing I want. If I buy something, it would definitely be for Dan, but he says he doesn't need anything. I used to want a car so I could visit him anytime, but now we live together."
"Ah," Nao scratched his chin. "Just save it. Even the last gift was hard to think of. Save the money for traveling with Dan or building a house in the future."
"I understand," I nodded. After eating, we rested a bit then went back to training. The coach said I could rest in the afternoon because I would be fighting in two days. Nao also decided to leave.
"Why are you leaving? Your training isn't finished."
"I'm lazy," he answered without thinking. "Ah, we were talking about school earlier. Would you like to see our school?"
"Can we?"
"Of course, I'm an alumnus. I'll give you a tour."
"Yes," I answered. We went home first because the school was in a different direction. Dan was relaxing watching TV with Auntie. Hearing we were going to the school, he became interested and immediately went to change clothes to join us.
"Why the sudden school tour?"
"So Jayden can see what Dan's school life was like. We were there for six years. Actually, I miss it too. I haven't visited in a long time."
"Yes, I miss it too," Dan smiled. "There are many places full of memories for Nao and Tiger."
"What memories? At that time, I wasn't even thinking about him. At most, we just played soccer together."
"How did Nao and Tiger start dating?" I asked curiously.
Nao began telling the story from the beginning. The first time he met Tiger, they were pointing guns at each other. Tiger's first impression was so intimidating, full of authority. But as time went on, when I began to know him deeper, that image slowly faded.
Listening to Nao's story, I could imagine Tiger's youth. I realized that he and I had similarities. He was a husband who only thought about his partner, while I was a boyfriend who only thought about Dan. If I want to be a good husband, what should I do?
We arrived at the school and entered easily, only needing to register. We saw a four-story building, and in front of it was a soccer field.
"This is the social studies department building. History, geography, economics are taught here," Dan explained. "We don't need to go up, but you can see the classrooms from the ground floor."
I looked inside and found about forty uniformed students. Each had their own desk, sitting in pairs. A woman stood in front of the class, talking. If I had a normal life, perhaps my life would also be like this.
"Let's walk around here. There's a tree that can be used as a seat. When I came to watch Nao practice soccer, I often read here."
I looked around. "Alright."
"This is the science building."
"Dan's favorite."
"Yes," Dan smiled. "The science library is on the first floor. I really liked it, fewer people compared to the main library. Come on, let's greet the teachers. Are you coming, Nao?"
"It's one o'clock now, most of them must be teaching."
"We can try."
"I don't like the staff room," Nao grimaced. "They always called me there because of problems. Dan was always the one who came to check."
"I was just asking for explanations, it felt like an extra class."
"Dan was the teachers' favorite."
"Teacher Thanon is here," said Dan after peeking into one of the classrooms. "Let's greet her."
"Just hearing her name makes me shiver," Nao pretended to be scared. "Jayden, Teacher Thanon teaches chemistry for year five. No one's as strict as her. If you don't listen, you'll be kicked out of class. No sleeping or cheating."
"But she explains well. If you listen, she's very clear. Although strict, she's kind. She always answered my questions."
"That's true, my chemistry grade improved just because of her," Nao nodded. They went to the class and asked me to wait on the bench.
I saw uniformed students walking through the corridor, carrying shoes in their hands. They were chatting enthusiastically. Dan said they were between 16 and 18 years old. I'm 19, just a year older. Going to school, having friends, having fun. Very different from my life. I studied, but in a different way. While I was thinking, a girl approached. Behind her, three others were observing with enthusiasm.
"Excuse me," she smiled. "Are you an alumnus?"
I shook my head.
"Oh, what's your name?"
"Jayden."
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"I have a partner."
"Oh, sorry," she said with a disappointed tone.
While I was waiting, the same question was asked three times and many other people started looking and pointing at me. When Dan came out, I asked him about it, and they both laughed.
"It's because you're handsome, nothing more," said Nao.
I nodded. No one had ever said that to me before. It seems that's important here, but I wasn't interested.
"Does Dan like my face?"
Dan smiled. "Yes."
That was enough for me.
"What did you answer when they asked if you had a girlfriend?"
"I said I already have a partner."
"Aha!" Dan laughed lightly and continued explaining about the buildings at the school. "This is the mathematics building. Nao really liked it."
"Really? Why?"
"He often came here."
"I had to retake exams. Mathematics was the subject I failed most often."
"Nao likes math."
"Since when?"
"In university, he took a lot of calculus."
"... I failed," Nao complained. "Don't mock me, you never failed an exam."
"I didn't let you cheat."
"I couldn't help it, you always wanted to copy or cheat. That's why you had trouble in exams."
Nao shook his head. "Bah!"
"College is after school, right?" I asked, and they nodded. "What did you study?"
"I'm an engineer," answered Nao. "We design various things, like phones and cars. We calculate and design, but I don't work in that field. I only do live streaming."
"But you change light bulbs."
"That doesn't require a degree."
"Haha, I studied business and administration. I work in that field," added Dan.
"I see," I nodded. "North also studied with Nao?"
"Yes, we met there. But he only focused on live streaming and game competitions. Mick and Garfield also studied engineering, but they don't work in their field either. Just like Tiger."
"Then why did they study if they don't work in that field?"
Nao laughed. "Life is uncertain. When you apply, you don't think too much about it, but over time, you find what you really like."
"But many friends work in their field of study. Tul became a lawyer, Garfield became an engineer."
"Ah, Garfield," Nao nudged me. "Tiger's friend. He liked Dan, but Dan said it was better to be friends. As I said before, he rejected everyone. Jayden was the one who succeeded."
I smiled. "Why have I never seen Garfield?"
"He's very busy with his work. Rarely comes home."
"Ah, I understand."
We arrived at the library, one of Dan's favorite places. He had a regular table there. I imagined Dan in uniform, reading books. If I had studied here, would I have noticed him? No, when he was 16, I was only 8. But if we were the same age and studied together like Tiger and Nao, I would surely have noticed him.
"Oh, they closed that area," Nao pointed to a corner. "There used to be a gap. I jumped through it two or three times, but Dan always stopped me."
"It's dangerous. You go to school to study..."
"But it's fun," Nao laughed. He pointed to another area. "There's a camera there. If we wanted to jump, we wore hats or hoodies. Imagine walking here, then jumping over the wall like in Assassin's Creed."
"What's that?"
He showed me a picture on his phone.
"A game, very cool."
"Ah."
After walking around, we sat under a tree near the field. The weather wasn't too hot, and there were children playing soccer.
"Have you ever played soccer, Jayden?"
"No."
"Want to try? Is the coach there? If so, we could play."
"That's not a good idea. Jay will be fighting in two days, I don't want him to get injured," said Dan. Nao grimaced, remembering it.
"Oh, right. Better not. We can play soccer another time."
"Alright."
I heard many stories from Nao about his school days. Meanwhile, Dan only talked about his studies, so I asked if he wasn't bored.
"No, I liked it. Today, when I looked back at the materials, I realized that taking online courses suits me well."
"Ah, bad news, Jayden."
"Yes?"
Nao whispered, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Dan will record videos. Everyone will see how adorable he is."
"I have to record with a camera," said Dan. "It's important. Nao does it too."
"That's an ongoing issue," Nao sighed. "They always complain. I want Dan to feel the same."
"You won't be upset, right Jay?"
"..." I thought for a moment. Recording with a camera is like when Tiger sent me videos. "I understand."
"You're not upset?"
"Looking at Tiger, I know it won't work. Besides, I want to understand Dan," I answered. "But I will share my pain with Tiger."
"Good. I wear a mask to cover my mouth."
"Nao can do that because he's cool. Dan can't because students have to see their teacher," said Dan. "Thank you for understanding."
"You're welcome." I nodded. Dan patted my head gently.
"You're very adorable."
"Adorable deserves a kiss on the cheek."
"Not here, we're at school."
"Then at home."
"Alright."
"Good," Nao nodded. "Nice."
Dan laughed. "What's up, Nao?"
"Nothing, I just said this is good. Nice to see you two getting along."
"Hey!"
"Ah, don't pinch my stomach!" Nao flinched, raising his hands to protect himself.
"Don't do that to anyone, understand?"
"It's tempting. Give me that belly!"
"Don't touch my stomach!"
"What stomach? All I see is fat."
"Oh, I'll show you when I have one! Don't tickle me!"
We returned home. Dan said he would continue studying, so I sat beside him, leaning over to see what he was reading. Seeing this, he asked me.
"Are you interested?"
"Yes."
"Oh, right. May I practice teaching with you? If you understand, I'll record the video."
"Sure." So, I studied with Dan. After one topic, I took a test and got a perfect score.
"Wow, amazing! This is an actual exam from last year."
"Seriously?"
"Yes, so it's no problem. I'll record now." Dan enthusiastically went to Nao's room. "I'll record a video."
"Are you done reading?"
"Just one topic, an easy one. I want to try first. Jay got a full score."
"Good, I'll prepare everything." Nao started setting up the equipment. I stood near him, cheering for Dan. He looked a bit nervous before starting to record. He greeted and introduced the topic he would teach.
Dan taught with a pleasant voice. I watched Nao's screen, paying attention to the video being recorded. Dan looked very adorable with his voice, expressions, and smile. I frowned unconsciously.
Does this adorable video have to be seen by others?
I sighed. Even though I understood, I couldn't hold back my annoyance. I took out my phone and sent a message to Nao so as not to disturb the recording. Nao glanced at me, then read my message, holding back laughter.
[Jayden]: Could we add a message in the video saying that Professor Dan already has a partner?