September 5th

Chapter 5

I have been in a good mood recently. As you might guess, this is how Xiao Zhan's music influenced me. I gave up the idea of ​​ bringing Xiao Ming to light and making out his relations with Xiao Zhan. I have never heard Xiao Ming play any of other music works of Xiao Zhan after the festival, so that's why I decided to just forget about him.

- Yibo, what happened? – Yixing asked me at a break. – You're not you lately: you go to all classes, diligently doing all of your homework and even get good grades... Have you been replaced?! Where is previous real Wang Yibo?!

- I just found my inspiration, – I answered mysteriously, grinning.

We hanged around on the roof, as we often did before. With my arms crossed behind my head, I looked at the blue sky, on which occasionally floated white clouds, and imagined on them an association from what they reminded me.

Meanwhile, Jackson sighed next to us.

- What's up? – I asked, because I felt something was wrong with my friend.

- No, nothing... – he answered evasively, looking away.

I got up and pushed him on the shoulder, becoming serious.

- Come on. What's happening?

- This... concerns Xiao Ming, – Jackson said reluctantly.

Me and Yixing stared at him in bewilderment. As soon as I tried to get this upstart out of my life, he stubbornly continued to returning into it.

- What the matter with him?

- Well... I watched him all this time. In general, I feel sorry for him. I used to despise him, but now I felt a little sorry because I didn't know about his problems...

I frowned. Jackson's vague answer didn't directly clarify my question.

- Explain more clearly. What with Xiao Ming?

And Jackson told. Once he was waiting for Xiao Ming to finish his additional studies, but time went on, and he didn't leave after them. All the other pupils had gone home a long time ago, it was very late on the street, and only Xiao Ming was late. Not that Jackson was somehow nervous, but he got curious. For the sake of interest, he went to look for Xiao Ming, but he wasn't in the classroom. Jackson found him twenty minutes later in a sports lock room, where he was sitting alone and... crying. Xiao Ming sat on the bench and was looking at his hands.

- I hate you... How I hate you... You... ruin my life!.. I... suffocate because of you.

At first, Jackson absolutely didn't understand what he meant. Then Xiao Ming noticed his presence:

- Who's here?

Jackson had to go out and show himself.

- Sorry... – Jackson coughed, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. – I didn't think anyone else stayed at the school, so...

Xiao Ming snorted, wiping his nose.

- How cute. My personal bodyguard finally caught the subject of his surveillance at the rightest moment. Come on, go! Run to Wang Yibo. Tell him that Xiao Ming also has weaknesses. Describe in detail in what state you found me. I'm sure he'll be very happy.

Jackson felt a little ashamed and didn't know how to respond. The only thing that came to his mind was:

- Why did you cry?

- Are you a fool or what? Have you followed me so long, but still don't understand?

Jackson was surprised.