There was a stunned silence, no one was moving and all that could be heard was the pained moans from the bullies - mostly people didn't know what to do. Even Yihao didn't know what to do, he just felt fear build up in him as he looked at the ringleader, flat on his back, likely to be really pissed off when he woke up. He was so, so dead. As soon as he saw them again, that was it. Funeral time.
Nodding eagerly, he stayed firmly behind Chenglei and tried to make himself smaller so it would be easier to hide. "Yes, please." He would love to be away from here. Anywhere but here. As soon as they got back up, he was dead meat. "I want to come."
"All right." Chenglei shrugged and put his earbuds back in, then thought better of it and handed one to Yihao, so he could listen as well. There, now no one could bully him. At least right this moment. Maybe he'd be done with this now. He started walking down the hallway, considering where he should even go. He had planned on going into the classroom, but given the fight he'd just been in, that was likely a bad idea. Ugh, he hoped they wouldn't call his parents. "You hungry?"
This was so crazy, he was given an earbud like it was nothing. Didn't Chenglei know how bad it was to share with him? He was a damn faggot, no one wanted him to touch their stuff. He looked it over slowly and then put it in his ear... then winced at the music. It was a lot of guitar and angry singing - not at all what he was used to. Personally, he liked kpop. The bouncier, the better.
"I guess I'm hungry, I -- I just --" He didn't know what to say, he stared at Chenglei in fascination but couldn't stop moving. He was afraid that if he stopped, everyone would suddenly give chase again. He had to stay right by Chenglei as long as he could.
"Skipped Maths. Good riddance, I hate that guy. He doesn't even know anything, he just copies from the book." Yeah, he was not a big fan of any of the teachers here. Sure, he was a slacker, but that didn't mean he enjoyed wasting his time listening to teachers even more stupid than he was.
No, he wasn't too concerned about anything else. He did realise that Yihao was, but he supposed he couldn't really blame him for that. "They got in my way. Don't make it a big deal. I don't care about anyone's business."
"They're going to think you like me." Maybe he did like him. He seemed so nice and he gave him an earbud - it was almost exciting, in a way. He hadn't had friends in years, not since elementary school before people knew how uncool he truly was. And now, here he was, being defended by someone. Who didn't care about what was happening when he did it but did that matter? A defender was a defender.
He smiled at Chenglei and looked at him with a dumb, bashful smile. "Thank you for protecting me! It's going to be scary tomorrow but today, it feels good." It won't feel good when they kill him tomorrow but oh well.
"Hm. If they think I like you, they'll be more careful." There was that. "Anyway, just hit that one jerk in the ribs. Right side. Pretty sure I felt something crack there before."
So there was that, should give him an advantage. Chenglei wasn't too concerned. Tried not to be, anyway. Instead he focused on thinking about what food he wanted to have. Maybe noodles? Or a rice bowl. Both good options, he knew cheap places nearby. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you."
"I can't throw a punch, I tried. It hurts a lot." Though it was good advise - he had a weak spot. Maybe next time he was making him drink toilet water, he could kick him there and pretend it was accidental. He would love to be able to kick their asses, he tried way back when in middle school but that made the ass kickings worse, not better. "I'm glad you did it, even if you didn't do it for me."
With a playful smile, he practically skipped along beside his bully crusher, feeling much safer now. It wouldn't last but while it did, it was nice. He just had to work out what he would tell his parents when they realised he cut school and how to survive tomorrow. "I can pay for lunch, I owe you."
"...all right." No, he probably shouldn't take advantage, but it wasn't as if he had much money to spare. He really had to look around for a new part-time job, wasn't easy to hold on to any between moving all the time, oh, and having a terrible attitude, as he'd been told. Admittedly, he probably shouldn't have yelled at those primary school girls, but damn, they had been annoying.
"What do you want to eat, Yihao?" He was hoping he'd remembered his name right. Everyone just called him names all the time, hard to remember.
"... You called me Yihao?" That was the first time someone had used his name in so long, his chest was tight with emotion. He was used to pig or piggy or princess pig - he didn't mind it so much any mire. He liked pigs, they were plenty cute. Even so, it was just special to be called his own name by the boy who defended him. It made it feel all the more real. "I'll eat anything but you should pick, it's my treat to you. We could get some fried noodles or meat skewers, I think there's a place nearby that does fried rice."
All good options, he was very eager to treat him and secure him, to make sure he was his friend forever.
"...is your name not Yihao? What is it, Yi-- Definitely Yi." He was sure of one syllable, he felt that should count for something. "Noodles is fine, whatever. You don't have to pay so much."
Clearly the boy was eager and he supposed he couldn't really blame him, but he wanted to discourage him from thinking too much of their non-existent friendship. Although, frankly, he had a feeling that it was already too late for that. He should have paid more attention, then he could have just turned away and walked off.
"No, you got it right! It's just weird, people always say piggy or some kind of p thing but you said it. That's so cool." He laughed excitedly as he led Chenglei out of the school gates and along the street, knowing exactly where to go. It was close, cheap and no one else would be there - given it was class time and not lunch time. God, he was being so rebellious, this was wild.
"I've never cut class before." He looked uneasy and eyed up the school from afar, too scared to go back but knowing he should. "Do you always do stuff like this?"
"It's not much of an achievement. Kind of the lack of one, really. I can't stand school." He was pretty sure school couldn't stand him either. Anyway, there wasn't much of a point to school, not with what it already said on his report card, might as well be an ex-con. No way could he get into a decent university, no matter what his grades could be, so why bother trying? "It's nothing impressive. But we can go spray-paint a wall later, if it will keep you happy."
"No! I couldn't. I wouldn't want to." Unless Chenglei really wanted to and then maybe, just maybe, he could amend a little. He just wanted to make sure that Chenglei didn't get annoyed at him or lose interest. He really needed him right now, he was so close to having a proper friend. "I don't take risks, they're kind of dangerous and I think my parents would kill me if I ever got into trouble like that. They're pretty strict."
And apparently Chenglei's weren't so much? Weird. He stopped by the stall and gestured at the menu. "Pick what you want."
Chenglei ordered simple noodles with chicken for himself, not actually wanting to exploit the generosity on display here. He waited for his order to be ready and looked at Yihao, considering it all. "Think your parents should have sent you to a better school."
Honestly. He was a sweet boy, of course he'd get picked on. Chenglei shook his head, trying to rid himself of that feeling of attachment that was getting kindled inside him. Damn it. "Thanks for the noodles."
"This is the closest school to us, my parents can't afford the train every day so I can't commute. It's fine, it's only a few more years and then I don't have to worry about it. Then I can get a job and people will leave me alone." He wasn't sure about university - his parents really wanted him to go but he was flunking maths, English and history. Even if he tried to study, he still sucked. He wasn't sure why.
Looking at Chenglei, he smiled at him, eyes wide and full of hope. Hope for a long and fruitful friendship. "You're welcome. Like I said, I owe you."
"You don't." Chenlei lifted his hand and flicked Yihao's forehead. "Don't get any ideas."
Whatever he meant by those ideas, he saw no need to explain. He just rolled his eyes and moved over to get his noodles, once the order was finished, thanking the auntie that made them and flashing a rare smile for that occasion. It worked well enough, she immediately called him back to give him some extra chicken and mention her daughter.
He wasn't about to say no. To the chicken, not to the daughter. He moved to sit by a table, keeping a seat free for Yihao. Whatever. He might as well.
Yihao just got himself tofu noodles and smiled at the nice auntie, bowing to her in thanks before coming over to sit by his friend. His new friend. He had a friend. Woah, he was so going to tell -- his dog. He didn't know who else to tell but hey, maybe his dog would be excited for him? "So... you said you were going to the arcade yesterday. Do you like games? Gaming. That sort of stuff. And manga too, right?"
He just wanted to learn more about him so he could get into the same interests and further their friendship. It was all very vital research. "I read a lot of manga too. Maybe we can trade some volumes."
"I like reading." Ugh. He mentally chastised himself and focused on his noodles for a while. Not the right hobby for his reputation, books. Even manga, he supposed. Whatever. Not as if anyone really talked to Yihao, not as if he really cared what people thought anyway. "Games are okay. I'm good at shooters."
He had good reflexes for stuff like that. Not exactly a valuable skill in real life, but still. "I doubt we read the same kind of manga." The boy seemed like too much of a puppy.
"I like reading too but my parents say I just read junk." It was true, he did. He loved romance novels and mangas. Mostly, he loved the ones where a girl was rescued by a handsome prince or rich boy or whatever - those ones were the best. He always thought the art in them was lovely, especially the girls. They were pretty, no one wonder people wanted to save them. "I like..."
What was a cool manga that he could read that would make this boy like him? His mind raced as he tried to think of a manga he'd read and could talk about that seemed cool. And, for some ungodly reason, the next words came out of his mouth from sheer panic of how long it took to say something. "...F-Fruits basket."
... Oh God, why? Why did he say that? He went bright red with embarrassment and hastily shoved noodles into his mouth to shut himself up. Fruits basket? What an idiot!
"Huh." Didn't even surprise him, honestly. This boy was so soft, of course he was a target. he had a cute face and apparently cute tastes as well. He didn't think he deserved it, but he did understand why it would happen to him. "I've watched some of that anime."
He hadn't gotten the manga, because, no, that wasn't his usual taste, but whatever. He could run with it. "Which boy do you like best?" He assumed that was the point for anyone who liked that franchise.
He'd watched some of it too? Okay. Okay, cool, he could salvage this. He didn't think about the question as a 'what boy do you want to date' and more of a 'who is the coolest' so that he could keep some badassness. He considered it for a moment before settling on the best possible answer for coolness points. "Kyo." He nodded with determination and then looked at Chenglei, waiting for some form of validation to his answer.
"Especially when he's a scary big cat monster." Well, close enough to being badass, right? He was just going to try and own it as a cool boy thing.
"Huh. That's what I'd have thought." Cute. Of course he liked the main love interest, because he knew enough about the show to know that much. "I think the girl is cute. I like cute."
Kind of why he found himself liking Yihao a lot more than he wanted to, but it wasn't as if he had to admit to that. "I guess you are a bit like her."
All right, maybe he could tease him just a little bit. "You like taking care of people. Or just me."
"I am...?" He was like Tohru? Huh. He didn't realise. And he was cute, apparently. By that logic. Huh. Weird. What did he do? Why was his heart so weird right now? He just kept on shovelling noodles into his mouth, eager to stop himself from asking something dumb or being too weird and scaring him off. He didn't want to look like a needy faggot. Then he'd lose a beautiful potential friendship.
Gulping down his food, he shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't know if I'm much like her. I think I'm more ... boyish. Promise. I'm not a girl." Yihao clarified, just to avoid any confusion. "Despite what people say, I'm very manly." And then he tried his best to look manly... it was rather odd.
"...you look like you're going to be sick." Definitely more nauseous than manly, not that he was entirely certain how a manly expression could really be achieved, at least with Yihao's features. Honestly, he still looked cute more than anything. "Being cute doesn't make you a girl. That's about biology and stuff."
Complicated, but not that complicated. "If you are a boy, you are a boy. Even if you like cute things. You should ignore those idiots, don't bother changing who you are."
"I can't change, I tried." Yihao lamented sadly as he stabbed at his noodles with his chopsticks, not wanting to lose Chenglei but hoping that he was just a bit nicer than the other boys he knew. Maybe he'd be more open to dealing with him? Even if he was a bit girly and weird. "I'm not good at being manly. Sports are exhausting, cars are boring and I tried to lift weights but I nearly died!"
And that basically excluded him from hanging out with most boys when he was in middle school. "... Can't game much either." And that isolated him from the nerdier boys. "But I can try again and learn. If you're into that stuff. I won't be boring, honest."
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There was a stunned silence, no one was moving and all that could be heard was the pained moans from the bullies - mostly people didn't know what to do. Even Yihao didn't know what to do, he just felt fear build up in him as he looked at the ringleader, flat on his back, likely to be really pissed off when he woke up. He was so, so dead. As soon as he saw them again, that was it. Funeral time.
Nodding eagerly, he stayed firmly behind Chenglei and tried to make himself smaller so it would be easier to hide. "Yes, please." He would love to be away from here. Anywhere but here. As soon as they got back up, he was dead meat. "I want to come."
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Maybe he could grab a bite somewhere.
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"I guess I'm hungry, I -- I just --" He didn't know what to say, he stared at Chenglei in fascination but couldn't stop moving. He was afraid that if he stopped, everyone would suddenly give chase again. He had to stay right by Chenglei as long as he could.
"... You know what you just did, right?"
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No, he wasn't too concerned about anything else. He did realise that Yihao was, but he supposed he couldn't really blame him for that. "They got in my way. Don't make it a big deal. I don't care about anyone's business."
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He smiled at Chenglei and looked at him with a dumb, bashful smile. "Thank you for protecting me! It's going to be scary tomorrow but today, it feels good." It won't feel good when they kill him tomorrow but oh well.
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So there was that, should give him an advantage. Chenglei wasn't too concerned. Tried not to be, anyway. Instead he focused on thinking about what food he wanted to have. Maybe noodles? Or a rice bowl. Both good options, he knew cheap places nearby. "Don't thank me. I didn't do it for you."
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With a playful smile, he practically skipped along beside his bully crusher, feeling much safer now. It wouldn't last but while it did, it was nice. He just had to work out what he would tell his parents when they realised he cut school and how to survive tomorrow. "I can pay for lunch, I owe you."
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"What do you want to eat, Yihao?" He was hoping he'd remembered his name right. Everyone just called him names all the time, hard to remember.
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All good options, he was very eager to treat him and secure him, to make sure he was his friend forever.
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Clearly the boy was eager and he supposed he couldn't really blame him, but he wanted to discourage him from thinking too much of their non-existent friendship. Although, frankly, he had a feeling that it was already too late for that. He should have paid more attention, then he could have just turned away and walked off.
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"I've never cut class before." He looked uneasy and eyed up the school from afar, too scared to go back but knowing he should. "Do you always do stuff like this?"
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And apparently Chenglei's weren't so much? Weird. He stopped by the stall and gestured at the menu. "Pick what you want."
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Honestly. He was a sweet boy, of course he'd get picked on. Chenglei shook his head, trying to rid himself of that feeling of attachment that was getting kindled inside him. Damn it. "Thanks for the noodles."
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Looking at Chenglei, he smiled at him, eyes wide and full of hope. Hope for a long and fruitful friendship. "You're welcome. Like I said, I owe you."
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Whatever he meant by those ideas, he saw no need to explain. He just rolled his eyes and moved over to get his noodles, once the order was finished, thanking the auntie that made them and flashing a rare smile for that occasion. It worked well enough, she immediately called him back to give him some extra chicken and mention her daughter.
He wasn't about to say no. To the chicken, not to the daughter. He moved to sit by a table, keeping a seat free for Yihao. Whatever. He might as well.
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He just wanted to learn more about him so he could get into the same interests and further their friendship. It was all very vital research. "I read a lot of manga too. Maybe we can trade some volumes."
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He had good reflexes for stuff like that. Not exactly a valuable skill in real life, but still. "I doubt we read the same kind of manga." The boy seemed like too much of a puppy.
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What was a cool manga that he could read that would make this boy like him? His mind raced as he tried to think of a manga he'd read and could talk about that seemed cool. And, for some ungodly reason, the next words came out of his mouth from sheer panic of how long it took to say something. "...F-Fruits basket."
... Oh God, why? Why did he say that? He went bright red with embarrassment and hastily shoved noodles into his mouth to shut himself up. Fruits basket? What an idiot!
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He hadn't gotten the manga, because, no, that wasn't his usual taste, but whatever. He could run with it. "Which boy do you like best?" He assumed that was the point for anyone who liked that franchise.
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"Especially when he's a scary big cat monster." Well, close enough to being badass, right? He was just going to try and own it as a cool boy thing.
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Kind of why he found himself liking Yihao a lot more than he wanted to, but it wasn't as if he had to admit to that. "I guess you are a bit like her."
All right, maybe he could tease him just a little bit. "You like taking care of people. Or just me."
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Gulping down his food, he shook his head stubbornly.
"I don't know if I'm much like her. I think I'm more ... boyish. Promise. I'm not a girl." Yihao clarified, just to avoid any confusion. "Despite what people say, I'm very manly." And then he tried his best to look manly... it was rather odd.
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Complicated, but not that complicated. "If you are a boy, you are a boy. Even if you like cute things. You should ignore those idiots, don't bother changing who you are."
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And that basically excluded him from hanging out with most boys when he was in middle school. "... Can't game much either." And that isolated him from the nerdier boys. "But I can try again and learn. If you're into that stuff. I won't be boring, honest."
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