Heartbreak Club | s.yx ✓

Chapter 10

I had excitedly told Flora Daisy and Cait the news that evening, and I could tell they were proud of me. Even though Flora didn't wasn't one to say much words, the sincerity in her "congratulations" could be clearly felt. She had come over to our hostel to hang out with Cait when I told her the news.

'So what now?' I asked the question that had been on my mind for quite some time. 'I mean...I've knocked him down in all three rounds, you think he has more cards up his sleeve?'

She shook her head. 'Nah, Yaxuan isn't exactly the best heartbreaker who always knows what to do. He's someone who's used that strategy ever since he got on this school, so now he won't know what to do.'

'So I did it...!'

'No. You haven't broken his heart yet. You've simply made him feel like he's not invincible,' she continued, 'and with that, he's probably going to get attached to you because you're "unique", it's simple logic. Like, imagine being a kid and being able to get all the candy you want, but one piece is rare and you can hardly have it. You start to want it a lot right?'

'I guess,' I nodded to Flora Daisy's advice.

'So he will obviously want you now. But you have to keep leading him on till he's so attached that it will hurt more when you leave. Do you think you can do that for us?'

I nodded without giving it any thought. I was devoted to Heartbreak Club, so I wasn't going to question whatever they told me. Yaxuan needed to pay, and he was going to pay greatly for all the things he's been doing to girls.

...

The next day at lunch, Roy didn't want to sit next to me but instead told me to sit next to Yaxuan. In fact, he encouraged me to sit next to Yaxuan. Now I had two people who wanted me to sit with Yaxuan, the Heartbreak Club and my brother Roy. Who was I to say no to that?

Thankfully, Yaxuan was alone on this particular afternoon. I went over and sat next to him with my tray of food.

'Hey,' I greeted him happily.

Yaxuan smiled at me. 'Hey Akira, I didn't think you'd sit next to me.' For some reason, his statement sounded sincere.

'Why not?'

'Well,' he shrugged his shoulders and didn't particularly say anything.

'Where are your friends?' I changed the subject.

'Friends? They'll be here I soon I guess. But to be frank, I don't really have friends.'

'You?'

He nodded. 'I mean...at some point you have to grow up and tell the difference between friends and followers. Followers are only there when you're giving them something they need, friends have your back all the time. Even though so many people always want to sit with me, I know they're not friends.'

I felt a bit sad listening to him, but he quickly changed the subject and smiled.

'Anyway your food looks good,' he commented awkwardly.

'Why do you eat here anyway? You can eat somewhere more expensive.' The cafeteria food wasn't the best, but it was at least something almost every student could afford.

Yaxuan chuckled. 'You'd be surprised that I actually enjoy cafeteria food than the fancy food.'

A couple of boys walked over the table and sat down with us, and I felt extremely uncomfortable seeing Junlin sitting opposite me. I wanted to get off but that would just make things more awkward. The problem with Junlin is that he didn't want to exactly view me like an ex, he wanted to view me as someone whom he never had any doings with. That was alright but it surely increased the awkward moments between us. He deftly greeted me then looked into his plate.

'Please give me my son back,' a man's voice was heard pleading on the television. Everyone who was eating without any care turned their attention to the man on the screen, except Yaxuan who was still looking in his tray. I clearly recognized the voice as our old neighbor Mr. Yin. He was standing at a podium somewhere within the city holding a press conference for his missing son. He looked incredibly devastated.

'I sent a man to give money to the kidnappers just as they had asked, but they took the money and didn't return my son. They captured the man as well and he's nowhere to be seen.' He continued to say in a sad tone.

'Geez that's brutal.' One of the boys on the table commented.

The scene changed from Mr. Yin's conference to the pretty blonde news anchor who was reading out the story. 'Now the question on everyone's mind is are these the same men who kidnapped and killed Vivi Song 7 years ago?'

'Vivi Song?' one of the boys on the table repeated with surprise, having never heard the name before.

Yaxuan continued to poke at his potato salad without paying any particular attention to the television screen, his eyes set on the food. Probably Roy was right about Vivi Song, because Yaxuan's reaction seemed to be completely out of it. Everyone would have been curious to look ahead and see who the man talking was, but not Yaxuan.

'Let's not talk about that,' Junlin tried to change the subject, and it seemed to me he knew what was going on. But the other boys were completely oblivious.

As the reporter spoke about Vivi, a picture of her flashed on the TV screen. She was young in the photo, perhaps 12 years old. Her hair was long and beautiful and she had a cute smile on her face.

'She was so cute,' one of the boys commented.

At that, Yaxuan raised his face from his dish and looked up at the TV screen mounted on the wall at the center of the room. He only looked at the photo briefly before looking back into his plate.

'So if it's been 7 years, she would have been a bit older than us by now. Bet she would have been one of Yaxuan's girlfriends am I right?' one of the boys nudged him.

'Okay I don't think it's right to make jokes about the deceased.' Junlin pulled his friend's arm away from Yaxuan whom he was nudging.

'What's the big deal? Why are you and Yaxuan so serious today?' the boy posed the question to Junlin. This boy just spoke too much and didn't know when to shut up.

The news anchor kept on talking about the kidnappings, as there was now a total of 8 children from influential families who had been kidnapped. Vivi's name came up ever-so-often, and even though they weren't exactly explaining how she got kidnapped, she was continually used as a reference in the case.

Suddenly, Yaxuan slammed his fork down on the table in the silent cafeteria which was so concentrated on the news. Everyone in the cafeteria looked at him with shock or shuddered in surprise at the sudden loud sound.

'Are you okay Yaxuan?' another boy who sat on the table with us asked him.

'Yes, I'm fine.' he forced a smile and placed his fork back in the plate. 'My hand just slipped. I think I should...leave. I have some things to do.'

Before waiting for a response, Yaxuan got up from his seat and walked out quickly. I was explaining Junlin to follow him, but I was surprised to see him continuing his eating.

I remembered Flora Daisy's words at the Heartbreak Club meeting when she was advising me on what to do, "One more thing...you have to fake an emotional connection with him. Even playboys like him fall very hard for a girl whom they think understands them and all. You have to give him something not every girl could."

I knew he was going through something emotional, and if I acted like I understood him, things would go in my favor. Besides, I would probably be able to ask more and tell Roy the information I got.

But a part of me felt guilty, was I about to use someone's emotional turmoil for my advantage? Well, he used other people's emotions too when he was falling for girls, so I guess he deserved this.

I got up from my seat to follow Yaxuan.

'Where are you going? I wouldn't do that if I were you,' Junlin suddenly said to me.

'And I wouldn't try to advise my ex if I were you,' I answered and walked away.