A Promise to the Moon [BL]

Chapter 9.:

When Bass left Pete’s apartment, Pete sat on the sofa in front of the TV, although he didn’t listen to whatever program was playing there. Once he finished the phone call with his mother, he immersed himself in his thoughts, trying to figure out what he should do. Knowing that Mrs. Aranya and her son knew about his condition and bothered him. Most of all, Pete feared they might share this information with others, which meant they would treat him differently.

The flow of his thoughts was interrupted by the incoming phone call from Sun. Pete forgot about the arrangement he had made with him and, right now, he didn’t even feel like talking to him, but not answering the phone call wasn’t an option as well. It would make Pete feel guilty for arranging a meeting and then simply ghosting him. Pete took a deep breath before he accepted the phone call.

“Hi.” Sun’s cheerful voice greeted him almost instantly as he answered the phone call.

“Good morning.” Pete replied to him, unaware of the current time. Sun began smiling, which was bearable through the phone.

“It’s already afternoon. Bass told me you felt a bit tired today, so you skipped the tour around the town. Do you feel better now?” Sun asked him. His question flustered Pete, making him unable to answer for a brief moment. The thoughts which he had in his mind just a second ago came popping back into his mind, reminding him of what happened in the morning with Bass.

“Pete?” Sun asked, feeling worried about him.

“May I know what exactly Bass told you?” Pete tried to plan his question carefully, but in the end, he just said it as it came to his mind.

“Nothing. You just didn’t feel well, so you wanted to get some rest. I guess traveling itself and the change of the environment just took its toll on you, which is understandable.” Pete couldn’t hear any kind of lies in Sun’s voice. It really made him think Sun had no ulterior motive, and he didn’t lie about what Bass told him.

“It might be.” Pete replied to him nonchalantly, not agreeing or disagreeing with his hypothesis.

“So, how do you feel now?” Sun repeated his question from before, hoping Pete would reply to him this time. Pete didn’t have to think for long. Just the reassurance of Bass keeping his lips tied about Pete’s illness, even when it might be just another indirect lie, made him feel more confident about interacting with Sun without worrying about his behavior and acting in front of Pete.

“I feel better now. Thank you.” Pete replied without delay.

“I am glad to hear it. Are you free now?” Sun continued questioning him, and Pete couldn’t miss the increase of impatience and excitement in Sun’s voice.

“I guess.” Sun’s questions confused Pete. He tried to figure out where he was heading with his questions, although he assumed Sun would like to meet outside, since Pete had already agreed to meet him today and discuss the matter of tutoring.

“Good. Can you please open the door for me? I am waiting outside our building.” Sun told him that nothing had happened and popping in front of someone else’s home was a regular thing to do. Pete had to ask him to repeat his words one more, before his mind could fully understand the meaning of those words.

Pete stood up from the sofa, going straight out of the apartment and through the garden to the gate. To his surprise, Sun was seriously standing there, with his broad smile from ear to ear on his face, while looking happily at Pete.

“I thought since you were tired, it might be easier for you to discuss my studies at your home. Anyway, I don’t think you would want to travel to our resort every day, so it will be more comfortable to take lessons at your home, unless you have a better idea.” Sun continued talking, his words coming out almost like bullets from a gun. Pete wondered when he managed to breathe in between the sentences while talking so hastily.

“Well, not like your brother would let me stay in the resort in the first place. I guess,” Pete commented on the resort part of everything Sun had just told him. Narrowed lips and a guilty expression on Sun’s face told Pete he had just hit the nail in the head with his rough guess.

“I thought so. My apartment should be suitable enough for tutoring.” Pete replied to Sun’s expression. The broad, happy smile returned to Sun’s face once Pete invited him inside, widely opening the gate for him so he could enter the garden.

“Wow. I know the apartment ma is renting is amazing, but I didn’t know there was a garden either. Is this all yours to use?” Sun scanned the entire area with his knowing eyes, making sure to explore every single detail of the garden. The place wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. A small inflatable external pool, which you usually fill in the spring and remove after the summer, could fit here. At that moment, this place would be absolutely perfect, Sun thought to himself while measuring the space with his eyes.

Directly beside the main door to the house, there was an area covered with the small roof which belonged to the balcony of the upper floor apartment and divided by wooden carved walls which supported flowers, created perfectly from a sun covered sitting area with enough fresh air to breathe and enjoy the garden. In the corner behind the sitting area was the holder with the ropes for hanging the laundry and, thanks to the positioning, no one could see it directly while entering the garden. Sun had to admit that ma had good eyes for designing and decorating places. He enjoyed decorating and designing the areas since his mother let him help with designs in the resort, so he understood the principle of decorating.

“Would you like to drink something?” Pete asked him while entering the house. Sun followed him, but the spacious living room, although the room itself was quite small, instantly caught his attention. The light-colored walls, together with furniture made of light wood, brought a lot of light into the room, making it look fresh and big.

Sun began directly making notes in his mind, since he had already planned to change the design in the resort. Using some techniques which ma used for this apartment might help in the smaller rooms they are offering to the guests, which would make them feel more comfortable in the resort rooms.

“Sun?” Pete had to stand in front of Sun’s eyes to get his attention.

“Yes?” He asked him, unaware of the question which Pete asked a moment ago, making him repeat the question once again.

“I am really sorry. This apartment is amazing, and I like what ma did with the lighting and how she used the natural materials for the furniture. I wanted to redecorate some of our rooms, and this seems to be nicely done for a smaller room.” Sun explained his lack of attention and focus, but Pete didn’t understand what he was talking about. Pete always lived in a home which was decorated in a similar style to this apartment, which simply made him think it was popular or modern. Just in the morning, when he talked with Bass and later with his mom, he began thinking that it might be because of his mom and Mrs. Aranya changed the furniture and everything in this apartment to make it feel more like Pete’s home back in the capital. He never really understood this kind of thing and the use of light to make the room look bigger or more comfortable.

“It’s okay.” Pete replied simply, since he couldn’t add anything to this kind of conversation, nor could he complain about Sun’s reaction.

Pete prepared drinks for both, before he joined Sun on the sofa. Sun was very proactive, and he took the chance of having a tutor seriously, preparing his study materials from the last semester and, as well, his last mock exam paper, so he could show Pete where he struggled with his studies. Pete went through Sun’s papers for quite some time, making sure to properly check each subject Sun asked him to help with. The mock exam he attended as well ended with a good score, but Pete could directly see exactly where Sun was behind and which areas needed to be properly explained so he could gain a higher score in the real test, which was almost behind the door. Sun had only two semesters of his last year in high school to get ready for the exam to not only pass the tough selection of his chosen college but as well pass the selection for the scholarship. Although the resort earned money for their living and wages, they had to pay for the staff, as well as the maintenance of the resort itself to make it work. Mork couldn’t afford to pay tuition for this college. Even if Sun passed the selection but did not get the scholarship, he would be forced to choose a different, less prestigious and cheaper college which they could afford.

Pete placed the papers on the table in front of him while taking the cup with the drink. He partly enjoyed the nervous, impatient and scared expression which Sun was giving him the whole time while he was listening through the papers. It reminded him of himself when he anxiously awaited the results of the scholarship announcements.

“So?” Sun couldn’t wait any longer. The anxiety had eaten from inside, and he just wanted to know what Pete thought about his chances.

“Well. I think you have a pretty good chance to actually get not only to the college you want but, as well, to achieve that scholarship Bass mentioned yesterday. There are some points where you are lacking knowledge, but with that I can help easily.” Sun literally jumped back on his feet, excited and happy hearing such words of hope. Pete enjoyed the overwhelming energy and happiness which Sun showed right now. Although he smiled and radiated positive energy yesterday, it couldn’t compete with what Pete saw just now.