Fake Slackers

Chapter 51: Fuck, young love

He Zhao didn't say anything for a long time.

The idiot probably didn't expect that he would still be standing there with all limbs intact. He usually had so many canned responses up his sleeve, but now he stood there like a mute, pinning Xie Yu against the door and staring at him.

Xie Yu wasn't aware that He Zhao was currently thinking, Damn, these fireworks have been going off for a long time. Why are they not yet done?

Xie Yu's wrist was still trapped in his hand and Xie Yu pulled a little. "Have you looked enough?"

"......"

"No."

Hearing Xie Yu's voice, He Zhao came back to himself. He couldn't help smiling a little, then widely. He repeated, "No, I haven't looked enough."

Xie Yu's words, "You provoked me first," were originally going to be followed by, If you just want to try something novel and fun, then I have no free time to play with you.

He wasn't sure what exactly He Zhao's 'like' counted for, so he chose to defend himself. Almost pessimistically, he wanted a clean conclusion.

He even thought He Zhao would back off.

But He Zhao had not.

He had said that his feelings were very serious; the sort of like where he wanted to date him.

Xie Yu felt he'd been infected by He Zhao. He started smiling, too, and couldn't force the corners of his lips down even if he tried. Very silly. So he moved his hand, opened the door, and started to leave. "I'm going back."

He Zhao didn't hold him back but once he had taken two steps out of the room, He Zhao called out to him again from behind. "Xie Yu."

Xie Yu opened the door to his room, turned back and leaned against the doorframe to look up at He Zhao.

He Zhao wasn't done and called his name again.

Xie Yu was a little annoyed now and almost said, "Are you calling a spirit?"

He Zhao stood at the opposite door. The zip of his black jacket was only pulled up halfway, a rebellious look. Xie Yu only now noticed that he had secretly put on ear studs.

He Zhao said, "Nothing. Just getting used to my boyfriend's name."

These words sounded familiar, as if Xie Yu had heard them somewhere before. Before he could react, He Zhao continued, "Let's take care of each other in the future, boyfriend."

He remembered now.

On the first day of school, He Zhao had sat in the last row and called his name this way, too. Saying, languidly, "Getting used to my new deskmate's name... Let's take care of each other in the future, deskmate."

Now He Zhao was saying these words again, but the relationship had changed from 'deskmate' to 'boyfriend.'

What a strange feeling.

As if they had come full circle.

The two of them stood in their doorways, staring at each other, for a long time.

This felt a little like young lovers on the phone saying, "Goodnight, I'm hanging up," even as neither of them hung up, both being silly and listening to each other's quiet breathing instead.

"Go on in," He Zhao said. "Rest early."

Xie Yu turned, went into his room, and shut the door.

Xie Yu took a shower and did several mock papers. He thought he would be unable to concentrate, but when he put pen to paper and started doing sums, he found he was fine.