A Lifetime Confidant (Completed)

Ch. 1 : One Step Two Steps

"So you will be coming with us in this year's Yiling Music Competition?"

SiZhui lifted his head up from his music score to look at his teacher. The one he's looking at was sitting behind a guqin, still with an air of perfection. The man let a low "Mn" sound without tearing his gaze from the musical instrument in front of him.

"Well, I guess we can't sneak out after practice anymore..."

A kid around SiZhui's age, wearing the same all-white uniform sighed, actually too loud to be unheard. SiZhui threw a sharp look at him and at the same time nudged his stomach with his elbow.

"JingYi!"

"Ah, did I say it out loud? S... Sorry, Teacher."

JingYi pouted. The man in front of them still gave no response, sitting too still, like a perfectly carved statue. Gleam of sun lights grazed over his pale features.

The man finally lifted his head from the classical instrument.

"We've finished today, you can go back to your room." He said stoically.

JingYi shivered and SiZhui clashed both of his hands in front of him, making a big arched gesture with his limbs and bowed slightly.

"Sure. Thank you for today's lesson, WangJi-teacher."

SiZhui was the class president. Quickly but still prim and proper, he went out of the class, followed meekly by JingYi and the rest of the class.

Lan WangJi sat still, no intention of getting up whatsoever. His mind ran wildly, fingertips sat still on his guqin strings, mouth clenched slightly.

He didn't like crowds.

This year, the other teachers were busy and the one who should've supervise the kid on the competition fell ill. Having a great sense of responsibility he took the role as the teacher in charge of the competition. After all, he was the only music teacher the school had. But he was never interested in getting involved with other things other than teaching music.

Lan WangJi thought he wasn't good with how to deal with teenagers. How to deal with their constant burst of energies. How to deal with their always positive ways of thinking. How to deal with their sudden change of mood. He had one before, dealing with a bright and always unexpected teenager. The one he always kept close in his heart, never once meant to be forgotten.

But it had been long since he saw that face. The face of a person that constantly knocked through his stone encaged self. The cage was finally open, and it opened wide, but the person who knocked was nowhere to be seen.

Shaking his head then fixed his glasses, Lan WangJi finally stood up.

It's been 13 years. But he still couldn't let go. He wouldn't.

________________________________________

The bus was full of chatters and laughters, kids chirping to each others like birds. Some of them looked too excited, some of them focused on which snacks they'll eat first, then one kid who was looking down on a stack of papers in his hand. SiZhui's brows furrowed.