Behind The Red Curtain | YiZhan ✓

24-Serenity By His Side

Serenity. The state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled. At least that's what he read on the internet.

Zhan had never been too familiar with the state since he had never quite experienced it. His life had always been chaotic yet there wasn't much he could do about it either. So he just let it be. But as he threw his utmost desires inside his stomach and hid them from the world, he realised that it wasn't life that was unfair, but him to himself. He had never felt free after that. Especially in this moment as he stood beside his best friend, and now crush.

Him and Yibo were on their way to his house after getting some takeout after the hospital visit. They decided that they didn't feel up to finding a secluded place away from the common folk, and went for the easy solution instead.

After their fight at the car, they hadn't spoken a single word to one another, yet Zhan still followed after him and Yibo brought him to his home like last night.

He knew that despite treating him wrong a while ago, Yibo was still caring enough to not mind it and continue being nice to him. After a while from the conflict, Zhan had realised just how wrong  he had been, telling him that he had no right to judge him for the deal he made, and how he had yelled at him for interfering. But in reality Yibo had been just worried and wanted make Zhan have a sense of self respect. After all, agreeing to sell his body was quite disappointing. And so it must've been in his eyes also.

Ever since coming to the realisation of how stupidly he had treated him, he had been meaning to apologise the whole way back home, but had never found the opportunity to. Or more like they were many, but he had been just too shy and didn't know how to approach him. That is exactly why he began to regret his past decisions of keeping his thoughts inside instead of telling them.

He sighed loudly as the elevator stopped and opened its doors. "What's wrong?" Zhan swallowed at his question and decided to finally speak for once and for all. "It's just... i wanted to say that i-"

"Oh, i didn't think you would come together with him." Both of their gazes shot up to see Luo Zixin standing right before the white door. Yibo seemed surprised as he walked before Zhan and hugged him. "You didn't tell me you were coming."

Zixin laughed nervously as he glanced at Zhan. "I was going to surprise you. Today is our monthly anniversary day, remember?"

Zhan looked at them wide eyed and questioned. "Anniversary?" Yibo nodded with a small smile on his face. "Ever since high school, we've had this special day to meet every month to celebrate... nothing really. Zixin came up with it so i went along."

The latter oh'ed to which Zixin furrowed his brows at. "Or i can always come later-" Yibo glanced at Zhan with an unreadable expression and shook his head. "No, come in. We bought too much food anyways."

With that they all went in and began to eat. Zixin was loud and enthusiastic, filling the table with laughter. Well, both of them were laughing while Zhan sipped from his soda in quiet. "Hey- you haven't touched anything yet, can i take them instead?"

Zhan was about to nod when suddenly Yibo frowned at Zixin. "Fine fine- i won't. I'll just go pee then." Both watched him walk away and became silent. For only a bit at least, before Zhan's curiosity took over him. "You and Zixin seem really close. You said you knew each other from kindergarten?" Yibo nodded. "Yeah, we were even neighbours. I don't think i could've survived without him if it weren't for him being by my side. I was pretty messed up back then after all."

"You... must like him a lot." Yibo smirked at his comment as he grabbed his glass to drink. "Why, you jealous?" Zhan became silent after that. He realised that  he knew nothing of his past. Despite being friends for so many years, they were still much farther apart. He couldn't even apologise to him and he had a crush on him?? There was no way he could justify his actions for that. He couldn't even treat him right to deserve his kindness.