"I don't do any of that. I just waste time, really. You don't want to hang out with me, I'm a loser." Was that not clear enough? He was a failure in the making, Chenglei had thought that was fairly obvious. He finished his noodles and leaned back, shaking his head. "You are fine. People are just idiots. You'll meet better people one day. I'm no good."

Obviously. "Come on. I skip school all the time, I care about nothing and I-- My hair's bleached." So, clearly? Bad news. "Think about your strict parents."