Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Senior year was supposed to be easy for Pond Naravit Lertratkosum.

Well, maybe not easy. Final year students at the Resident Highschool practically lived surrounded by exam papers, tutoring classes and endless pressure from teachers who acted like university acceptance letters determined a person’s entire future.

But at the very least, Pond already had a plan. Keep his grades stable. Stay out of trouble. Survive the year quietly. That was it. Unlike most students in his school, Pond never cared much about becoming the “best.” He came from an old-money family anyway, and his parents were never the type to pressure him into becoming student council president or winning national competitions. As long as his grades stayed decent and he didn’t embarrass the family name, nobody really bothered him.

Which was perfect. Because Pond liked boring.

Boring meant going to school half-awake in the morning, sleeping through free periods, complaining about homework with Joong and Dunk during lunch, then going home before sunset to lock himself in his room for the rest of the day. No unnecessary socializing. No school drama. No exhausting extracurricular activities that required waking up at six in the morning on weekends. A peaceful senior year. At least, that was the plan.

Until the school gathered every final-year student into the main hall on a random Tuesday morning. The second Pond stepped inside and saw the giant projector screen at the front, he already knew something terrible was about to happen.

“Why do principals always make that face before ruining students’ lives?” he muttered, dropping into the chair beside Joong.

Joong looks at him and snorted. “Maybe they enjoy it.”

The hall slowly quieted down as the principal adjusted the microphone.

“Good morning, students. Today, we will be announcing a new graduation and university preparation requirement.”

The entire hall groaned instantly. Pond barely looked up from his phone. Probably another motivational program. Boring, he thought.

Then the next slide appeared on the projector.

MINIMUM 300 MERIT POINTS REQUIRED

Silence. Complete, horrifying silence.

“…What?” someone whispered loudly from the back.

The principal continued talking like she hadn’t just destroyed hundreds of teenagers emotionally.

“Starting this year, all final-year students must achieve a minimum of three hundred merit points through extracurricular activities, competitions, leadership programs, and co-curricular participation—”

The hall exploded.

“THREE HUNDRED?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“I only have forty-seven!”

“Can academics not count?!”

Pond slowly lowered his phone. “No,” he said flatly.

“No, absolutely not.” Yeah, he's going insane.

Beside him, Dunk was already laughing so hard when he see horrifying face from pond. He nearly fell off his chair.

“Oh my god,” Dunk wheezed, grabbing Pond’s shoulder.

“You’re actually finished.”

“I have, like… thirty merits,” Pond muttered in disbelief.

Joong looked over and smiling.

“Thirty-two.”

Pond turned toward him slowly. “How do you know that?”

Joong shrug. “You checked during orientation and complained about it for twenty minutes.”

“…Right.”

The principal’s voice continued echoing through the hall.

“Students are encouraged to actively participate in school events to strengthen their university applications—”

“Whoever plans this from Ministry of Education, fuck you,” Pond deadpanned.

Meanwhile, panic spread through the room like wildfire. Some students were already calculating points on their phones with horrified expressions. Others looked seconds away from crying. A student council member near the stage raised her hand proudly.

“Does organizing school events give double merits?” Pond stared at her with genuine betrayal.

“Fuck her too,” he whispered.

Unfortunately, the administration seemed completely serious. And unfortunately for Pond, excellent grades alone were apparently no longer enough for top universities.

Which was stupid. Completely stupid. Why should decorating booths or joining random camping programs determine someone’s future? Why did universities care if students participated in school events instead of focusing on academics? None of it made sense to him.

By the time the announcement ended, the entire hall looked emotionally devastated. Except for Joong and Dunk. Because those two traitors immediately turned toward him with identical grins.

“Oh, this is gonna be fun,” Dunk said.

Pond narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t.”

“We’re helping you collect merits,” Joong announced proudly.

“I’d rather fail.”

“Too bad,” Dunk replied. He smiles cheekily. Oh pond literally want to punch that smile. 

“You’re joining activities now.” And just like that, Pond’s peaceful senior year officially died.

Chapter Text

The problem with having friends like Joong and Dunk was that they never minded their own business.

Especially Joong.

Which was exactly why Pond currently found himself getting dragged across the school corridor at eight in the morning while still holding an unfinished iced coffee.

“Walk faster,” Joong complained.

“I hate you,” Pond replied immediately.

“You say that every day.”

“Because you give me reasons every day.”

Dunk, who was walking beside them while eating chips during first period like a psychopath, sighed dramatically. “Can both of you stop flirting? I’m tired.”

Pond looked offended. “Ew, This is not flirting.”

“It literally sounds like a divorced couple.”

“We’re not even married.”

“Unfortunately,” Joong muttered and look at Pond cheekily. 

Pond almost threw his coffee at him.

The hallway was unusually crowded for a Wednesday morning. Students were everywhere, standing around bulletin boards and club booths that suddenly multiplied ever since the merit announcement ruined everyone’s lives last week.

Everywhere Pond looked, he saw desperation.

“JOIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB!”

“VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!”

“FREE MERITS!”

Someone was literally bribing students with free boba tea. I mean who will reject boba tea in this economy? 

The school had turned into a survival game.

And pond hated it.

“I still don’t understand why I need three hundred merits just to exist peacefully,” he complained, leaning against the wall outside their classroom.

Joong ignored him completely.

Instead, his eyes narrowed toward something near the student activity board.

“…Wait.”

That single word immediately made Pond suspicious. No, not again please. 

“No.”

“I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“You made the ‘I found something stupid’ face.”

Dunk looked up from his chips. To see what are the things that take Joong attention. “Oh no.”

Joong walked closer to the board, scanning one of the posters silently before suddenly grinning.

That grin alone nearly ruined Pond’s morning.

“No,” Pond repeated firmly.

“Pond.”

“No.”

“Pond.”

“If you say my name like that again, I’m leaving.”

Joong turned around slowly, holding the paper dramatically like he had just discovered buried treasure.

“State-level kayaking competition committee members needed.”

Silence.

Pond blinked once.

“…Kayaking?”

Dunk immediately burst out laughing.

“Oh my god,” he wheezed. “This is perfect.”

“It literally says here that committee members can earn up to one hundred and twenty merit points.”

Pond froze.

“One hundred and twenty?”

“Yup. One hundred and twenty," Joong nodded proudly.

“It’s a three-day event too,” he continued reading. “Participants from public and private highschools around the state are joining. Since it’s state-level, the merits are doubled.”

Dunk snatched the paper from him.

“They even provide certificates, food and accommodation,” he read out loud. “Damn, this event is rich.”

Pond stared at both of them with growing horror.

“You’re not seriously considering this.”

Joong and Dunk looked at each other.

Then back at him.

Pond already knew he lost.

“No.”

“Think about it,” Joong said calmly, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “One event. One hundred and twenty merits. Your suffering decreases significantly.”

“I don’t even know how kayaking works.”

“You don’t need to kayak,” Dunk interrupted. “You just become committee members.”

“That sounds worse somehow.”

Joong ignored him again. “Three days only.”

“Three days too long.”

“You’ll survive.”

“I don’t want to.”

Dunk suddenly gasped dramatically while staring at his phone.

“Oh, registration closes today.”

Joong immediately grabbed Pond’s wrist.

“We’re registering right now.”

Pond nearly dropped his coffee. “WAIT—”

Too late.

Joong was already dragging him toward the student affairs office like a determined mother forcing her child into kindergarten.

“Joong,” Pond warned.

“You’ll thank me later.”

“I have never thanked you for anything in my entire life.”

“That’s because you’re emotionally unavailable.”

Dunk nodded seriously beside them. “True.”

Pond looked at both of them in disbelief.

“How did I end up friends with you people?”

“No idea,” Dunk answered honestly. “You looked lonely.”

“Fuck you. I was peaceful.”

The student affairs office was packed with exhausted-looking students trying to collect merit opportunities before graduation murdered them all academically.

Some looked excited.

Others looked like hostages.

Pond personally related to the second group.

Joong pushed the kayaking registration form directly into his hands.

“Write your name.”

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

“One hundred and twenty merits,” Dunk whispered beside his ear like a demon tempting someone into sin.

Pond stared at the form for a long moment.

Then sighed heavily.

Because annoyingly enough… they were right.

One hundred and twenty merits from a single event was insane. Most school activities only offered ten or twenty at most. He’d either suffer for three days now or continue suffering every weekend until graduation.

Neither option sounded appealing.

“Your handwriting is ugly,” Joong commented while watching him fill the form.

Pond glared at him. “Do it yourself then.”

“I would but your suffering builds character.”

Dunk nearly choked laughing.

The worst part?

As Pond handed over the form to the teacher in charge, he had absolutely no idea that this stupid kayaking competition would completely change his life.

At that moment, it was just another annoying school event.

Nothing more.

***

If there was one thing everyone at the Resident Highschool could agree on, it was that Phuwin Tangsakyuen was terrifyingly good at everything.

And unfortunately for the rest of the students, today became another reminder of that fact.

“I genuinely think he’s not human,” Fourth muttered while staring at the academic ranking board near the main building.

Gemini nodded beside him with complete seriousness. “There’s no other explanation.”

At the very top of the board, exactly where everyone expected him to be, was Phuwin Tangsakyuen.

Straight As.

Again.

Not a single subject below ninety.

And somehow, the most insulting part was that he took the Science classes, the same subjects students constantly cried over every exam season.

Physics. Advanced Mathematics. Chemistry. Biology.

Pure nightmare material.

Meanwhile, Phuwin himself stood in front of the board looking almost painfully normal about the entire thing.

“You could at least pretend to be excited,” Gemini complained.

Phuwin glanced at him lazily. “About what?”

“You literally ranked first in the entire batch.”

“Oh.”

Fourth looked offended on behalf of the school. “That’s your reaction?”

Phuwin shrugged before adjusting the strap of his bag.

“I studied for it. It would’ve been weird if I failed.”

“That,” Gemini pointed at him dramatically, “is exactly why everyone hates you.”

“That’s not true,” Fourth corrected immediately. “People are obsessed with him.”

“Which is worse.”

Phuwin only laughed softly under his breath before walking away from the board.

The hallway buzzed with its usual morning chaos. Students rushing to class, teachers yelling at people to stop running, clubs promoting activities like their lives depended on it ever since the merit announcement happened.

Normal highschool life.

When Phuwin finally reached his locker and opened it, several gift bags, letters and small flower bouquets immediately fell onto the floor.

Gemini burst out laughing.

“Damn. Business is doing well today.”

Fourth crouched down to pick up one of the boxes. “Premium chocolate too. Rich people flirting. I mean all of us are rich.”

Phuwin sighed quietly.

Again.

It had been like this since freshman year.

Anonymous letters. Snacks. Drinks. Flowers. Phone numbers shoved between notebooks. Confessions after class. Awkward eye contact from juniors in the hallway. At first, he used to panic whenever someone confessed to him.

Now, he mostly just felt guilty.

Not because the attention bothered him, but because he knew he couldn’t return those feelings.

And honestly?

That was harder sometimes.

“You should seriously start accepting at least one person,” Gemini said while shamelessly opening one of the snack boxes. “People are suffering out here.”

“That’s terrible advice.”

“You reject people too nicely,” Fourth added.

“That’s true,” Gemini agreed immediately. “Nobody moves on after talking to you.”

Phuwin frowned slightly. “How is that my fault?”

Because it was true.

People rarely talked badly about Phuwin after getting rejected. If anything, they somehow liked him even more afterward. Mostly because Phuwin never treated confessions like a joke.

He understood how terrifying it was to admit feelings to someone. How vulnerable people became during moments like that. So even when rejecting someone, he always listened properly. Always thanked them sincerely. Always chose his words carefully.

Kindness cost nothing, after all.

But kindness also didn’t mean obligation.

Just because someone loved him didn’t mean he was responsible for loving them back. And maybe people understood that too well when looking at him.

“You know,” Fourth continued casually, “if you were mean once in a while, people would probably stop falling for you.”

“That sounds exhausting.”

Gemini pointed at him dramatically. “See? Soft-spoken menace.”

Phuwin rolled his eyes lightly while taking the remaining gifts from his locker.

“Can I take these chocolates?” Gemini asked immediately.

“Go ahead.”

“See?” Fourth sighed. “Even his rejection chocolates feel romantic.”

Phuwin laughed quietly at that.

Love.

It wasn’t like he hated the idea of it.

Deep down, maybe he liked it more than people expected. He just… hadn’t met the right person.

Or maybe he already had.

There was someone, after all.

A girl he’d known for years.

Someone who looked at him without nervousness or admiration. Someone who talked to him normally instead of carefully choosing every word around him. Someone who treated him as just another close friend instead of the perfect son, perfect student, perfect everything.

And unfortunately for him, she had never once looked at him as anything more than that.

Nobody knew about it.

Not even Fourth or Gemini.

Phuwin planned to keep it that way.

Some feelings were easier when left alone.

Besides, senior year was already exhausting enough with university entrance exams approaching. Relationships were the last thing he needed right now.

If things worked out someday, then great.

If not?

Well.

At least he tried.

And if life still said no after that?

Fuck it.

Chapter Text

The first kayaking committee meeting was held after school on a Thursday.

Which already made Pond miserable before it even started.

By four in the evening, his brain was already half-dead from accounting. His social battery was gone and he still had two unfinished worksheets buried somewhere inside his bag waiting to ruin his night later.

“This better be worth at least fifty merits,” he muttered while dragging himself toward the activity hall.

Beside him, Joong looked completely fine for someone who voluntarily signed up for suffering.

“You complain too much.” Pond roles his eyes.

“Because I suffer too much.”

Dunk snorted while pushing open the hall door. “Drama queen.”

The moment they stepped inside, Pond immediately realized this event was apparently way bigger than he expected.

The hall was crowded.

Not normal club meeting crowded.

Actually crowded.

Rows of chairs nearly filled the entire place while students from different classes gathered in groups, talking loudly over each other. Some wore sports uniforms. Others looked like experienced committee members who had already sacrificed their teenage years to school events.

At the very front hung a giant banner:

STATE INTERSCHOOL KAYAKING CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE BRIEFING

Ughhhh 

Pond already wanted to go home.

“Why does this look like a company seminar?” he whispered.

“Because rich schools love pretending they’re corporations,” Dunk replied wisely.

Joong, meanwhile, looked far too excited. “Damn. There are a lot of people.”

“Which means more chances for me to disappear unnoticed,” Pond said hopefully.

“Absolutely not.”

Unfortunately, Joong and Dunk dragged him straight toward the middle rows where people were most visible.

Traitors.

The hall buzzed with noise until several student council members walked onto the stage carrying files and clipboards.

One girl adjusted the microphone. He knows her. Jane. His classmates. Another overachiever. 

God, hope she's not recognize him. 

“Okay, can everyone settle down first?”

Nobody listened.

A boy at the back yelled, “Can we get extra merits for attending this briefing?”

The entire hall laughed.

“Unfortunately, no,” another committee leader answered.

“Then I’m leaving.”

“You signed the attendance already.”

“…Damn it.”

More laughter filled the room.

Pond leaned deeper into his chair, half-listening while committee leaders explained the structure of the event.

Apparently the kayaking championship would involve students from private and public high schools across the state. Multiple schools. Multiple competitions. Three full days.

Which sounded exhausting.

Very exhausting.

The projector screen changed slides.

REGISTRATION

LOGISTICS

FOOD & BEVERAGES

TECHNICAL

MEDICAL

CLEANLINESS

Pond suddenly felt uneasy.

“No,” he whispered quietly.

Joong looked at him. “What?”

“I have a bad feeling.”

“That’s just your personality.”

The student committee members began announcing department heads one by one.

Some students clapped loudly whenever their friends’ names were called.

Others looked horrified.

One guy nearly slammed his head against the table after becoming head of logistics.

“Bro’s about to manage ten thousand water bottles,” Dunk whispered sympathetically.

Then—

“Head of cleanliness department: Pond Naravit Lertratkosum.”

Silence.

Pond blinked slowly.

“…Excuse me?”

Joong burst out laughing immediately.

“No way.”

And Jane, the one that announced his name literally just smile cheekily. Dunk physically grabbed Pond’s shoulder because he was laughing too hard.

“Fuck you,” Pond mutter that while looking at Jane straight to the eye. 

“CONGRATULATIONS, LEADER.”

Jane on stage continued speaking calmly like Pond’s life wasn’t actively collapsing.

“The cleanliness department will be responsible for equipment cleaning, waste management, maintaining event areas and post-event cleanup. The department head will manage five committee members.”

Five people?

They gave him employees?

“I’m eighteen,” Pond muttered in disbelief.

Joong looked delighted. “Character development.”

“This is workplace exploitation.”

“Think positive,” Dunk interrupted. “At least you’re not logistics.”

A boy from the front row suddenly stood up dramatically. “Can I switch departments? I have dust allergy.”

“Sit down,” someone immediately replied.

The entire hall laughed again.

Pond, meanwhile, continued staring blankly at the printed department list handed to him moments later.

Cleanliness Department Leader.

The title itself felt humiliating.

“Actually, this suits you,” Dunk said thoughtfully.

“How?”

“You look like someone who judges dirty tables.”

Pond looked offended. “What does that even mean?”

Joong leaned over to read the task descriptions.

“Oh, your team needs to plan cleaning supplies too.”

“…What.”

“Mops. Trash bags. Soap. Equipment cleaning.”

“I hate this school.”

Dunk was still laughing. “You literally became the leader of cleaning.”

“I’m going home.”

“No you’re not,” Joong replied immediately. “You need merits.”

Right.

The merits.

That stupid system was the only reason Pond stayed seated instead of escaping through the nearest exit.

One hundred and twenty merit points.

One hundred and twenty.

Enough to make this entire nightmare barely acceptable.

The meeting continued for nearly another hour. Students discussed schedules, preparation days, transportation, department coordination and event responsibilities while Pond slowly realized this kayaking competition was terrifyingly organized.

People were genuinely taking notes.

Some were already planning spreadsheets. One girl asked if they should color-code department duties. Pond almost passed away hearing that sentence.

“These people are insane,” he whispered.

Joong nodded proudly. “Academic weapons with leadership skills.”

“Scary combination.”

By the time the meeting finally ended, the sky outside had already turned orange from the sunset. Students slowly gathered their belongings while conversations filled the hall again.

Pond stood up weakly from his chair.

“My youth is over.”

“You’re acting like they drafted you into the military,” Dunk said.

“This is worse.”

Joong slung an arm around his shoulder as they walked out together.

“Relax. It’ll probably be fun.”

Pond stared at him flatly.

“You and I define fun very differently.”

***

At home, everything about him was quiet.

No rushing footsteps. No crowded hallways. No teachers calling his name like he belonged to the entire school.

Just silence.

Phuwin sat at his desk, laptop open, neatly organized tabs lined across the screen. Academic preparation, competition records, university planning. Everything arranged in a way that made sense.

Downstairs, faint voices from his parents drifted through the house, something about work schedules and meetings. Nothing urgent. Nothing that required him.

Phuwin didn’t mind it. He was used to this kind of life.

Peaceful. Structured. Familiar.

His phone buzzed on the desk.

Once.

Twice.

Then again.

Group chat: Barely survive 

Fourth: “bro”

Fourth: “kayaking event is actually insane”

Gemini: “state interschool one right??”

Gemini: “they’re taking participants AND committee”

Phuwin glanced at the messages while scrolling through a document.

Fourth: “3 categories”

Fourth: “men, women, mixed pairs”

Gemini: “2 people per team btw”

Fourth: “and MERIT IS CRAZY HIGH”

He paused slightly. Not because of the merit points. That part didn’t matter to him anymore. He already had more than enough. Over five hundred accumulated across national academic competitions, STEM events, leadership programs, and co-curricular achievements.

Merit points were just numbers at this stage.

What caught his attention instead was something else.

Water-based competition.

Rare.

Unusual for their school.

Before he could think further, his phone vibrated again. This time in a different chat.

JAOYING

The name alone made something shift quietly in his expression.

It had been a long time.

Years, actually.

Since high school started, they had gone separate ways. Different private schools, different districts, different routines, different lives. Messages slowly faded. Calls stopped happening. Even birthdays became polite only distant replies.

Not because anything went wrong.

Just because life moved.

Phuwin stared at the notification before opening it.

Jaoying: “PHUWINNN”

Jaoying: “I JUST SAW SOMETHING CRAZY”

Jaoying: “YOUR SCHOOL IS HANDLING THE KAYAKING COMPETITION RIGHT??”

He blinked once.

Then replied.

Phuwin: “Yes.”

Almost instantly.

Jaoying: “OMG”

Jaoying: “I’M PARTICIPATING TOO 😭”

Jaoying: “THIS IS SO RANDOM I DIDN’T EXPECT YOUR SCHOOL TO BE THE ORGANIZER”

Phuwin leaned back slightly in his chair.

Jaoying: “I’M SO EXCITED TO MEET EVERYONE FROM OTHER SCHOOLS”

Jaoying: “AND ALSO YOU 😭 It's been a long time since we meet each other 😩😩”

That last message lingered longer than the rest.

Phuwin didn’t reply immediately.

He stared at the screen for a moment longer than usual.

Then quietly:

Phuwin: “You’re participating?”

Jaoying: “YES”

Jaoying: “i know it's not like me at all but once you enter all girl school no one feel shy anymore lol.”

Jaoying: “my school selected me”

Jaoying: “I didn’t even think I’d get chosen tbh”

A pause.

Then:

Jaoying: “you will participate too, right 🥺🥺”

Jaoying: “we should catch up during the event”

Jaoying: “it’s been so long since we talked properly”

Phuwin’s gaze softened slightly.

“Properly.”

That word stayed in his mind.

Because she was right. They hadn’t really talked properly in years. Not since she moved to the boarding school far away. Not since everything became busy. Not since life started separating them into different directions.

His heart feels weird now.

He set his phone down for a moment and looked out the window.

The sky outside was dark now.

Still.

Quiet.

And for the first time since hearing about the kayaking event, something shifted in him.

Not excitement. Not curiosity about the competition itself. But recognition. A reason.

If she was participating…

Then this wasn’t just another event. This was something he would attend properly. Something he would pay attention to. Something that suddenly mattered a little more than it should have.

He picked up his phone again.

Phuwin: “Yeah, I'm joining it too”

Phuwin: “Okay. See you there”

Sent.

He placed the phone down.

And just like that, the kayaking event stopped being just another merit-based competition in his mind. It became something else entirely. A place where the past might briefly meet the present again. And that was enough to make him pay attention.