Metanoia

Chapter 2: We Only Know Each Other From Afar

We might've never known each other . But we crossed faraway paths and came together.

Ryeowook

CHAPTER 2

Over a month had passed and Gulf was enjoying his university-student life. His classes were fine. Before he enrolled, he was overthinking the level of difficulty but so far his notes were neatly written and kept and his assignments not too tough. There was a pop quiz in one class a week before and he got top scores for that.

Klara and him bonded with another student, Mack, when they were given a group assignment. They needed another person so Gulf seized (literally) the first guy he saw. The one within his arm's reach. Mack had been sitting just behind Klara.

Klara talked Mack's ears off like she did Gulf; the only difference was that Mack's as equally as talkative. Mack was also really up to date with campus gossips and going-ons and basically with everything. Gulf wondered how Mack had all those information stored in his brain. His brain was like a sponge, absorbing information left and right. But it was good since they weren't fumbling around and missing important dates of events.

Yeah, Gulf and Klara both sucked at those. They almost missed the club sign-ups. Gulf, of course, joined the football club. Klara and Mack signed up for swimming club. Klara still couldn't stand the heat and Mack joined because they needed more guys (he was guilt-tripped into joining by the lovely senior that spoke so cutely about the club). Club members got free access to the pool - that made Klara swoon.

"I'm surprised you're not joining the Drama Club," Gulf teased, raising an eyebrow and pursing his lips, "given how dramatic you are."

Klara scoffed in disbelief before punching Gulf in the arm. She had one mean hook. Gulf developed hyper-vigilance of Klara's weapon of limbs after that.

And it turned out Mack was Lang's cousin. Klara saw Lang having trouble printing his papers at the library one time, volunteered her aid and brought him to join Gulf and Mack for dinner. That was how they found out – a happy reunion. Since Lang was in CU Science Faculty, it became an almost daily thing for the four of them to hang out, particularly for lunch.

Lang Thawan Choonhavon was gone for Klara König since the first time he saw her.

Gulf had never seen him with eyes so wide and panicky every time Klara did as much as saying 'hi' to him. He would try every chance he got trying to get into Klara's good graces. When they bumped into each other, he'd walk with her, letting her spiral (in a good way) about weird and random things like the likely existence of swimming pools in the galaxy. Knowing how Klara ate all the time, Lang would bring her some random snacks. He'd pay for her drinks too but Klara complained that since Lang was sneaky about it, she couldn't use her mountain of free vouchers her brothers gave her all the time. Lang even threw in some one-liners, in unexpected random bouts of bravado, to Klara and they laughed about it.

They were at the Engineering Building's canteen (how they got there was a mystery). Klara was reading up some notes for their next class, as per her habit and Lang was sitting right next to her, eyeing her movements and anticipating her needs. Gulf and Mack sat slightly farther down the long bench from the duo. They were with few other friends from Engineering, mostly acquainted with Klara's brother and Mack the gossipmonger. Some from the Swimming Club while some from Gulf's own club.

At first Gulf wasn't sure but after some time observing the two, he realised that his Eurasian friend really was that oblivious to Lang's advances. Gulf didn't know whether he should root for them or not. Mack said to just let Lang suffer some more and it was free Thai rom-com.