Not Enough (complete)

7. Another kiss

One week seemed like a year. It had been a week since and both boys hadn't said a word to each other. Yibo had switched seats the following day and Xiao Zhan didn't bother to ask why.

People noticed the tension between both boys and attributed it to Yibo going after Yang Zi. They were all anticipating a drama but it had been a week, there had been none.

Whatever was being said in class, Xiao Zhan had no idea. He just sat there, seemingly paying attention but his mind had travelled far away, only returning briefly at the end of each class.

Whenever both boys passed by each other, each looked ahead as if the other didn't exist. Well, Xiao Zhan tried to pretend Yibo didn't exist but once he walked past, that front he put up would get shattered in an instant.

His favourite place had become the bathroom because that was the only place he could vent, he could cry freely. When he was done, he'd rinse his face, put on an indifferent look and walk out.

Xiao Li had noticed the changes in her son. The closest he had come to opening up was when he said 'I'm not okay'. He had wept for hours and slept off with his head on her laps. By the time he woke up, she was numb from sitting on one spot. He never spoke of the incident, even when she tried to ask.

She spoke to her friend; Wang Lu, to see if Yibo would know the reason for Xiao Zhan's attitude but that was a dead end. Yibo had shut her out as well. Both ladies figured out the boys were in a fight but they had no idea the severity of the situation.

That day, Xiao Zhan walked out of the bathroom as usual after spending his whole break time in there. He wasn't expecting to bump into anyone on the passage, especially not one that came looking for him.

"I've been wanting to talk to you. Do you have time?", Yang Zi was relieved when Xiao Zhan finally came out. She had been there for a whole 40 minutes waiting for him. She looked like her usual self. Pretty, with flushed chubby cheeks. In her eyes, one could see a tinge of shyness. She could hardly maintain eye contact with Xiao Zhan for more than a few seconds.

Xiao Zhan exposed a sincere smile. Now he knew how Yang Zi felt all the while he had rejected her advances. "Yes, but it's almost time to return to class. If we could talk later..."

"I wouldn't take much of your time".

Yang Zi usually came to 'talk' to Xiao Zhan just to spend time with him. She would come with classwork or homework, pretending she didn't understand, asking Xiao Zhan to explain to her. In the end, she ended up with full marks, while Zhan got a mere 70 to 80 percent. Xiao Zhan felt this was one of such 'talks'.

"It's about your friend, Wang Yibo. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I don't want to waste his time. You know how..." her shyness got the better of her. Xiao Zhan watched her ears and cheeks turn red as she was unable to speak further.

"Do you like Yibo?"

Yang Zi wasn't expecting Xiao Zhan to be so straight forward. She nodded her head. Not that she 'liked' him but she felt he wasn't bad. They could get to know each other but that totally depended on Xiao Zhan.

"Since you like him, you should follow your heart". Xiao Zhan didn't wait any longer after he said those words. If Yang Zi liked Yibo, the better for him. He could stop feeling guilty over her but Yibo... he had no idea how to feel.

A part of him wanted to yell, to tell her to stay away from his person but was Yibo his? Did he have the right to lay claim to him? This was clearly a case of his one-sided feelings. Yibo liked Yang Zi and she liked him back, who was he to stand in their way?

He had walked away for just a few steps when he suddenly stopped and turned around, heading straight back to the bathroom. He needed a little more time.