Kaal and Arka

BACK TO THE PRESENT

Chapter 12 — Back to the Present

Back to the present.

Arka opened the door to his room, stepping aside to let Kaal in. The moment the door clicked shut, he spun around with barely contained excitement.

“I… I can’t believe it’s you!!” he blurted, grinning like an i***t. “If I had known beforehand, I wouldn’t have refused and been so stressed out all day!”

Kaal didn’t return the smile.

Instead, his voice came cold and flat.

“Is it fun?”

Arka blinked. “Hm? Fun? What fun are you talking about?”

Kaal didn’t turn to face him. His back was straight, shoulders stiff — like a soldier about to scold his subordinate.

Arka’s heartbeat quickened. Uh-oh. That tone… he’s still mad about yesterday, isn’t he?

He took a cautious step closer. From this distance, he could smell Kaal’s shampoo — a clean, faint citrus scent that made his head spin. He almost reached out to touch Kaal’s hair but stopped himself just in time.

Don’t do it, Arka. Touching him now equals death.

Kaal’s fists tightened.

“Is it fun to make fun of me? Are you happy?” His voice trembled slightly — not with fear, but with irritation. “I thought you’d changed, but maybe that was just my imagination.”

Arka froze. “What?!”

He quickly grabbed Kaal’s shoulder and turned him around.

“W-wait! What are you talking about?! I never made fun of you!”

Kaal glared at him. “You made me embarrassed yesterday! Why didn’t you tell me she was your older sister?”

Arka’s face turned pale. “O-oh! That—” He scratched his head, panicking. “Well, I didn’t know it would turn out like that! I… I actually wanted to see your reaction… I-I’m sorry!”

Kaal’s brows twitched. “What reaction? And what did she say about me?” He averted his gaze, his voice quieter now.

Please not something humiliating… if she tells him I acted like an i***t, I’ll bury myself alive.

Arka waved his hands quickly. “Araa? She didn’t say anything bad about you! She likes you, really! I’m not lying!”

Kaal looked up, biting his lower lip. Likes me? What does that even mean?

Still, the memory of him panicking in front of Arka’s sister flashed vividly in his mind — the awkward smile, the formal greeting, the whole “Hello, we meet again” disaster. His cheeks burned.

Ugh, kill me now. I can’t believe I bowed like some ancient butler.

He glared at Arka, partly out of embarrassment, partly to cover how red his ears had gotten.

Arka, clueless as ever, scratched his head. “Don’t look at me like that… I said I’m sorry, okay?” He pouted slightly, trying to look pitiful.

Kaal only let out a cold “Humph!” before marching to the study desk and sitting down, crossing his legs like a grumpy cat.

Arka followed him, leaning on the desk with a sheepish smile.

“Look, I really didn’t mean to upset you. I didn’t expect that kind of reaction. Please forgive me, hm?”

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Kaal said curtly. “Sit down and show me your test paper.”

Arka deflated but obeyed, sitting on the bed. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out a folded sheet, and walked over to hand it to Kaal — his face so close their noses nearly brushed.

“Here! This is the test I failed.”

Kaal lifted a finger and pressed it against Arka’s forehead, pushing him back slowly. “Don’t get too close.”

His voice was calm, but his ears turned crimson. Why is he always so close? Can’t he breathe without invading my personal space?

Arka blinked, noticing the color. “…Why are your ears red?”

Kaal froze. “Shut up.”

“See? They’re really—”

“Sit. Down.” His tone left no room for argument.

“Okay, okay…” Arka muttered, retreating to his bed. He sat cross-legged, chin resting on his palm, watching Kaal from a distance. The way Kaal furrowed his brow, the slight frown of concentration, the way his glasses slipped a little as he checked the paper — too handsome for his own good.

Arka smiled dreamily. How can someone look this serious and still be this adorable?

Kaal didn’t notice the gaze burning holes into him. He was too focused on marking Arka’s answers, his pen gliding swiftly.

His handwriting’s a mess, but his thought process isn’t hopeless. I guess I can fix this… if he’d just stop staring at me like that.

After a few minutes, Kaal sighed and put the paper down. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at Arka.

“Your grades aren’t that bad,” he admitted. “Just a few subjects need work.”

Arka’s face lit up. “Right! I knew I wasn’t that bad. And with you tutoring me, I’m confident I’ll be in the top 100 next test!”

Kaal raised an eyebrow. “Don’t jinx it. You’ll need to actually study. Also—” he hesitated, “Mira — your pair — she still teaches you, right?”

Arka clicked his tongue dramatically. “Tsk. It’s your first day here, and you’re already bringing her up?” He scooted closer again. “I told her not to bother. I don’t like her, anyway.”

Kaal folded his arms. “Then what exactly do you plan to do?”

Arka grinned. “Well… other things.”

Kaal’s eyes narrowed. Oh no. Not this again.

Before Arka could lean any closer, he shot up from the chair and took a step back.

“Stop that! You pester me all the time!”

Arka reached out, grabbing Kaal’s hand gently. “You’re so mean…” he pouted.

Kaal sighed, prying his hand free — though more gently than he intended. “I already told you I don’t like you that way. Stop making things difficult.”

Arka stared at him silently for a few seconds. Then he smiled faintly.

Here we go again. Always pretending.

“Fine,” he said with a small laugh. “Let’s study then!”

He pulled another chair and sat beside Kaal, opening his notebook.

Kaal blinked, confused by the sudden shift. Wait—what? Just like that?

He took a deep breath and decided not to overthink it. “Alright. Let’s start with Math.”

They studied for nearly an hour. Kaal explained each question patiently, and Arka actually listened for once. His occasional jokes made Kaal roll his eyes, but deep down, he couldn’t help smiling at the effort Arka was putting in.

He’s not as hopeless as I thought… maybe tutoring him won’t be that bad.

Kaal’s lips curved slightly at the thought.

Then came a soft knock at the door.

“Hey, guys!” Araa’s voice chirped. “I’m heading out. I’ll be back later. Don’t wait for me, okay?”

Arka stood up, walking to open the door. “It’s late, Sis. Where are you going?”

Kaal looked at her thoughtfully, his tutor's instincts momentarily forgotten. At night? Alone? That’s not safe.

He stood as well, grabbing his bag. “It’s fine, Arka. Let’s call it a day. We can continue tomorrow. I’ll walk her on my way home.”

Arka frowned. “Eh? But—”

Araa smiled, clearly amused. “Oh, aren’t you such a gentleman, Kaal?”

Kaal’s ears turned pink again. “It’s just a coincidence,” he muttered quickly.

Before Arka could protest, Kaal patted his shoulder lightly.

“You’re doing great today,” he said softly. “Keep it up, okay? See you tomorrow.”

“Ah… yeah,” Arka replied, trying not to sound disappointed. He followed them to the front door, watching as Kaal and Araa left together.

Kaal walked ahead, his steps quick, pretending to focus on the road — but the truth was, his mind was elsewhere. Why did his eyes look so sad when I said goodbye?

He glanced back briefly. Arka was still standing at the door, watching him. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the world slowed.

Kaal’s breath caught in his throat. He looked away immediately, pretending to adjust his bag. What the hell was that? Stop being ridiculous, Kaal.

But his heart was beating far too fast to ignore.

⸻

Inside the house, Arka leaned against the door, sighing. Then, a slow grin crept onto his lips.

“No way he doesn’t like me… right?” he muttered to himself, his cheeks turning red.

He chuckled softly, ruffling his hair.

“Well then, I guess I just have to make him admit it"