The Kiss I Never Should Have Asked For - Chapter 16 – The Homework We Shared

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After that rainy afternoon...

Nothing was said about it.

Korn never mentioned helping the younger student.

Narin never brought it up again.

Life simply continued.

But for me...

Something had quietly changed.

Whenever I saw Korn smiling...

I found myself smiling too.

The following Monday, our English teacher gave us another assignment.

"This essay must be handwritten."

"No printed copies."

"And I expect neat handwriting."

The entire class sighed.

Someone at the back complained,

"That's twenty pages!"

Our teacher smiled.

"Then you'd better start today."

As soon as school ended, I looked at the thick stack of papers in my bag and sighed.

"I'll be writing all night."

Narin laughed.

"You always finish before me."

"This time, I don't think I will."

He leaned closer.

"Then let me copy yours tomorrow."

I looked at him.

"You never change."

"That's why you like me."

I couldn't argue with that.

When I reached the junior building, Korn was already waiting with both of our notebooks.

"You look tired."

"I have an English essay."

He smiled knowingly.

"So do we."

I showed him the assignment sheet.

He looked at the number of pages and laughed softly.

"Our teachers must have planned this together."

"Looks like it."

We sat beneath our usual tree.

The afternoon breeze made the weather pleasant.

Students walked past us, but neither of us paid much attention.

Korn opened his notebook.

"I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"We're writing on different topics."

I nodded.

"So?"

"You help me with my literature questions."

"I'll help you organize your English essay."

"We'll both finish faster."

I thought about it for a moment.

Then smiled.

"Deal."

For the next two hours...

We worked side by side.

Sometimes I wrote.

Sometimes Korn wrote.

Whenever one of us became stuck, the other quietly explained.

We weren't copying each other's work.

We were helping each other think.

Time passed so quickly that neither of us noticed the sun beginning to set.

"P'Phawin."

"Hm?"

"Your handwriting is getting better."

I laughed.

"Only because I've been looking at yours every week."

He smiled proudly.

"Then my teaching is working."

"Don't get too confident."

"I'll try."

As we packed our bags, I noticed something.

"Korn."

"What?"

"You've written almost half of my notes."

He looked embarrassed.

"I hope you don't mind."

"I was only trying to help."

I looked at the neat handwriting filling several pages of my notebook.

Then I smiled.

"I don't mind."

"Actually..."

"It makes me happy."

Korn looked at me for a moment.

Then looked away.

"So..."

"...I'll keep helping."

I nodded.

"And I'll help you too."

Neither of us realized it then...

But those notebooks were becoming more than schoolwork.

Each page carried small conversations.

Small jokes.

Small acts of kindness.

Little by little...

Our handwriting began appearing in each other's notebooks.

Just as...

Little by little...

We were beginning to leave our marks on each other's hearts.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFvmWEbmPu

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