Growing Feelings [A YANTAO FANFIC]

Chapter 3. 'Making Amends' with Hu Tao

I was on my way back from school the next day. Hu Tao was absent again. Mr. Diluc thought it was quite weird for her to come back then suddenly disappear again, but he wasn't at all surprised; he just suspected that Hu Tao would be sleeping in her coffin again. That's what I suspected too, until I checked every coffin and not one had me find Hu Tao sleeping inside. 

Where's Hu Tao? I wondered in my head. Wait... why am I even worrying about her? She must've ran off to play with some ghost or something, it shouldn't be a big deal! Now I'm being bothered by what she may be doing... 

Recently I couldn't seem to take my mind off Hu Tao, it was as though the incident from two days ago was glued into my head and won't come off. I sighed and decided to leave the case to avoid any of these strange feelings to show again.

The next day Hu Tao appeared again. She silently sat down on her seat without even looking at me from the corner of her eye. 

"H-hi, Hu Tao." I mumbled to her, trying to sound like I had forgotten what happened yesterday.

"Hi,"she answered blankly, still not looking at me. My guilt wouldn't leave me until I knew that Hu Tao wasn't mad at me - sigh, how am I always worried about her? She's the prankster of the school! Everyone hates her!

The bell echoed through the halls and classrooms. School had ended. Hu Tao didn't run up to me nor did she even call my name. I decided to ask Chongyun about these feelings I've been having instead, since he was dating Xingqiu, and so far, to my knowledge they're the only ones dating. I looked around. Okay maybe a pair of others look a little suspicious but Chongyun's a closer friend of mine compared to the rest.

"It's called looooooooooovveeee." he teased. I rolled my eyes,"Please stop that you know I mean it."

"Yeah, and I'm giving you a serious answer." he said, Xingqiu smiled and shook his head from behind him.

"Doesn't sound that serious to me." I muttered.

"But really,"Chongyun said,"I know this feeling, it's a feeling where you literally can't take control of yourself and you'd do anything to make another's life perfect. Even if it already is. I've had this feeling for Xingqiu before we starting dating."

Xingqiu nodded, agreeing,"You have a crush, Yanfei."

What??!? No, no. A crush? On a prankster? But I guess Chongyun and Xingqiu did have a point.

"Oh hey, the school gates opened! Let's go, Xingqiu! See ya, Yanfei!" and with that the two lovebirds were off. I watched as Hu Tao silently ambled out of the classroom. Just like a ghost, I thought. I figured I'd make amends with her and brush this crush thing aside. She hasn't bothered me for this long, did I really embarrass her that much? As Hu Tao reached the school gates, I came rushing towards her calling,"Hu Tao!! Huuuuu Taaaaaaooooo!!!"

Hu Tao turned. It's been three days since she properly looked at me. I halted before her panting like a dog. Students were murmuring again.

"Now Yanfei is going after Hu Tao? Why would she go after the funeral director?"

I shook my head, trying to ignore their murmurs, which were getting louder.

"Shall we..." I panted, unable to catch my breath. Hu Tao stared with a confused look.

" Shall we..." I repeated, coughing. I felt like my windpipe was going to burst as my lungs felt so dry, I gained the energy to look up at her.

"... walk home together?" I breathed. I looked down again, coughing at the ground as I waited for an answer. As I finally caught my breath, I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. What...? My face went red. Hu Tao was hugging me!... I realised the back of my collar was wet. Was Hu Tao... crying? We broke apart. Yes, she was crying. But she was crying happy tears.

"Yes!" she said between she sniffs. I smiled and grabbed her by the wrist and we ran off, leaving only the students who continued to murmur. We ran across a bridge. I could see Hu Tao look around and then out of the blue, she pulled me back midway.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Hu Tao looked me in the eyes. I looked into hers. Her eyes were just beautiful; bright scarlet with white, blossom-shaped pupils. But to me, they looked a bit like wavy shapeless stars.

"Isn't this..." Hu Tao began as she turned and headed to the railings, looking down,"where that happened?"

Oh right. This was the bridge where we first kissed by accident. I blushed and nodded.

"Have you,"Hu Tao continued,"really forgiven me for that?"

She wasn't looking at me. All I could see was her long, smooth brown hair.

I've never seen her like this before. Since when did the cheerful director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour become this down and sound so sad? But at the same time she sounded so cute.

"Of course. Why? Is it bothering you?" I replied. Hu Tao turned and nodded,"Yes."

She smiled as though she was going to say something.

"I think I..." she began, but paused. She let out her adorable giggle, suddenly cheerful again as she said,"Never mind! Come on, let's continue our way back! I have little ghosts to play with."

As I waved to Hu Tao by the entrance, Hu Tao pulled me back.

"I figured I should tell you what I wanted to tell you just now on that bridge..." she said as her face went red.

"After the incident... well, I've been feeling a little... weird... I haven't been able to get you off my mind recently... maybe one of the ghosts are playing mind tricks with me..."

"To be honest... same goes for me..." I said softly,"I can't seem you get you off my mind either... it's like..."

"I'm in love with you." we said together. We suddenly looked up at each other, not expecting the same answer. Hu Tao went red with an embarrassed look on her face. She looked away.

"N-never mind! I-I'm a funeral director a-a-and you're a l-legal expertise... s-so it isn't normal f-for us to-"

"I don't see a problem in that." I said automatically. Realising what I just said, we exchanged looks.

"You mean that?"

Upon hearing that, I figured that it was right to say that. I nodded,"Yeah! Love is a free, yet precious gift. It can happen between anybody. Even to love a dog is only natural. It's just a feeling, there're no laws about it or anything... except marriage, which is..."

I started to get into my own hobby as I took out my little law book and flipped through the pages,"... legal age for marriage... 22... ehm..."

Hu Tao laughed at the fact that I was suddenly buried in my own hobby. Blushing I shut my book and laughed along.

"So... what now?" she asked suddenly. We stared at each other and slowly leaned in. I suddenly remembered the notes we wrote to each other the other day and stepped back.

"U-uhh, I'd better g-get going, I-I-I have homework t-to do..." I stammered. As I turned, Hu Tao grabbed me by the shoulder, and as I turned she pressed her lips against mine. My heart skipped a couple of beats as seconds passed before we broke apart. With her face redder than ever, Hu Tao said,"See you tomorrow in school..."

I was left standing there with a shocked look on my face. What just happened? Was I imagining things?...