Sports day was everything ping wished he could disappear from.
The field was loud, crowded, and full of energy he didn't have.
Every student was required to participate in something, but ping lingered at the edge of the stands, hoping no one would notice him long enough for the day to pass.
He wasn't physically strong.
He knew that more than anyone.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice someone stopping in front of him.
"What are you thinking about?"
Ping startled slightly, looking up
"P'keng ", he said softly.
Keng crouched a little so they were eye level, studying him with mild curiosity.
"You haven't joined anything yet?",
Ping shook his head,"I don't really want to. It's a waste of my little strength ".
Keng snorted quietly. "No wonder you look so small ", he said teasingly,"you should workout more ".
Ping frowned, but before he could respond, keng straightened.
"Why don't you play basketball with me?" Keng said, sounding serious.
"Basketball?" Ping echoed, startled.
"I don't even know how to play, I'll just slow you down".
"It's fine ", keng replied easily"I can teach you ".
Before ping could think of another excuse,keng grabbed his wrist and pulled him along.
"W–wait.....!"
They reached the court where keng's friends were already playing. When keng told them ping would be joining, they weren't surprised. It was like they already knew.
"Keng, you brought little ping?", Tao teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.
"Will our friend be able to concentrate today?", Bank added, snickering as he winked at ping.
Keng rolled his eyes, grabbed a basketball, and without warning, tossed it gently at them.
"Playful enough?" He said with a smirk, hitting them just hard enough to get them to dodge.
Ping watched, a little overwhelmed, a little amused. And ping was enjoying the teasing a little too.
They started playing, passing the ball more gently, slowing their pace instead of starting a real match.
Ping tried his best.
When the ball came to him near the hoop, his heart pounded. He jumped, throwing the ball upward with all the strength he had.
It went in.
For a split second,ping felt light.
Then he landed wrong.
Pain shot through the ankle, sharp enough to steal his breath, and he crumpled before he could catch himself.
"Ping!"
Keng rushed to him instantly.
He dropped the ball, knelt beside him, hands trembling as he checked ping's ankle.
"Are you okay? Let me see – I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you to join".
"It's okay", ping whispered even though it hurt.
Without hesitation, keng slipped one arm under ping's knees and the other behind his back, lifting him up carefully, as if he might break.
Ping stiffened.
He hadn't expected that.
Carried so close,he could feel keng's warmth, his steady breathing, the firm strength holding him securely, instinctively ping looked up.
Their faces were inches apart.
Too close.
Ping's breath caught as his eyes met keng's, deep and worried, fixed only on him.
His heart started racing wildly, and for a moment, he forgot about the pain in his ankle altogether.
He wondered –
Could keng hear it?
All eyes were on them.
Students had stopped what they were doing, whispers spreading as keng carried ping off the court.
Keng didn't notice any of it, he didn't care, right now, the only thing that mattered was the weight in his arms and the tightness in his chest that refused to ease.
He stayed with ping until his ankle was treated at the school clinic, standing nearby the entire time,his gaze never leaving ping's face .
Ping noticed.
The worry was too obvious to miss.
Trying to lighten the mood,ping forced a small smile,"p'keng,you don't have to worry. I'm fine now. I can even play football though I think being the goalkeeper is much more better".
Keng looked at him.
Not amused.
Not convinced.
"I wouldn't forgive myself if you got hurt again", keng said, his voice low and serious.
Ping's smile faded.
He saw it then – the way keng's brows were drawn together, the way his hands were clenched at his sides, the way his attention never drifted away.
Somewhere along the way, something has changed.
Ping wondered how they had gotten here, when has casual closeness become something heavier, how did keng notice someone like him?
This closeness wasn't accidental anymore.
Keng was now too close.
Too close for ping to pretend he didn't feel it.
Too close for him to ignore anymore.