A Touching Of Lips (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 58. The Match.

The journey back to college in the Tuk-tuk was pretty easy and quick, and it gave me a chance to talk with Karn.

Firstly, he just asked me if there was anything he needed to know about my talk with Songpob. I told him about reducing Ming's parents' rent on their apartment. His reply was a simple 'good luck when Ming finds out' and then he laughed.

I asked him about his conversation with Chiang, and he filled me in with the latest news on Pond. The injury to his back was bad. The spear had pierced his lung and an infection had set in and no one thought he would survive. The past week he suddenly perked up. Karn said he had teased Chiang by saying that it was his hugs and nursing skills that had pulled him through.

Sometimes the truest things are said in jest.

I thought it was more likely that it was the love between them, whilst not sexual, was by far the greater medicine. Love can heal.

I noticed that Karn was fidgety beside me. His leg was bouncing up and down rapidly, just as Ming's was when we were on the way to the hospital in Khon Kaen.

"You okay, Karn?" I enquired.

"Yes! I'm okay but Korn is cacking himself. He's not been himself since we heard about Good and Best. It has hit him hard. He really liked them, even though he had only just met them. He says it was like they automatically connected to us."

"Is this how you feel?"

"Not really. I think it is more to do with Klaew though, but he won't acknowledge that. I have to say that I did feel something when I touched lips with them. Korn says it was playing football with them that he really felt that they connected with him. I know it sounds awful but I was relieved that it was not Book. Kla is always talking about him. He made a big impression that morning when he walked to school with him. I think he would be devastated if Book had been killed."

"But why has Good and Best's death made him so upset? It's not like him at all."

"We have had friends before, but this semester things are very different for us both. Before we just relied on each other..., you know that, but since we have gotten that much closer to you we have found that we have gotten much closer to other people too. Take Ming, for instance. Korn likes him, not like you do...., obviously, but he enjoys his company despite the fact that he is gay and everyone knows. You must have known that Korn bordered on being homophobic before, didn't you?"

I laughed. "Yes, but I just put it down to being a footballer and in a sporty environment, nothing more than that."

"Well it's just that he is not as insular as he used to be. Because of you we have made real close friends even if some of them aren't, quite..." he mouthed silently the word 'human'.

I chuckled as Karn continued. Not at what he said but how he said it.

"It's this feeling of vulnerability that is upsetting him and he's struggling to control his emotions. Pond being hurt has not helped either."

"Have you told him that Pond is doing okay?" I asked as the Tut-tut pulled up outside the Campus gates. It was under 30 minutes to kick off.

"I've tried but he's not listening," Karn replied as I paid the driver. "He will be okay once I see him."

We rushed up to our room and quickly changed into our college sports colours before going over to the sports field changing rooms. I waited outside while Karn went in.

There was already quite a crowd of supporters, for both teams, filling the stands on both sides of the main pitch. Many of them had flags and banners, denoting the team colours. Blue and white for Engineering and purple and gold yellow for Business Studies.