✔️ Honey | Xiaoven

Chp.25 | You Ruined it

"Good?.. Hey, maybe do you wanna..go out someti—" she was cut off by a very angry-looking boy walking up to the two of them.

"Xiao. We need to talk."

Venti was livid.

-

Xiao's eyes softly looked toward the other. He didn't really understand why Venti looked so angry, but he was one to just ignore it.

"Alright." Xiao shot back a slight smile. This didn't soften Venti's expression, though.

Hisso took immediate notice of this, and ran up to the two from the back. "Hey—Venti...Uhm. I-I know we don't talk often but—I actually have business with Xiao so-" she seemed so awkward around other people. Quiet, too.

"This doesn't concern you. I need to speak to him, now." He sounded more serious than usual. Is this what those 'alpha males' were that Xiao's been hearing about?

Venti grabbed Xiao's wrist, but hearing Xiao wince slightly in pain; he loosened his grip slightly and moved down to his hand. He was still angry—but he couldn't hide his soft spot for the other.

Xiao couldn't help but blush as he cluelessly followed Venti around like a lost puppy.

But, Xiao was completely, utterly dense. So dense that he couldn't even fathom what was about to happen.

-

They stopped by in an empty hall. Venti didn't even seem to care about being late anymore. Or—they were just skipping. Xiao didn't mind, though. He didn't mind if he got a call home if he was caught. Because it was for Venti of course.

Xiao furrowed his eyes off to the side, looking around the dark hallway.

It seemed like no one came here anymore. Looks like it hadn't been swept in a few weeks. He felt uneasy.

"Xiao." Venti finally broke the tense silence.

"Hm?" He hummed, urging Venti to continue.

Venti hated how nonchalant Xiao seemed, "Why would you do that?! Don't you already have a girlfriend?!" He huffed," I can't believe you! You just don't want me to be happy, do you?" His words were harsh, and Xiao was confused.

"Venti, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how you completely started flirting with that pretty girl that was gonna ask me out!"

Xiao raised a brow," Flirting?" He wasn't sure what he meant. Xiao had just gone along with Hisso's plan. All he was told to do was ask about it.

"Hc—Yes, flirting! You were obviously interested in her! Why did you do it?!" He asked again.

"Venti, I wasn't trying to flirt with her—"

He was cut off," Then what, you were just trying to steal her over so I couldn't date her?"

"Ah— but I-"

Again. "Or were you just jealous that a pretty girl asked me out?! Did you like her or something?"

"I like you though.."

Venti's words immediately came to a stop, as they stood in pure silence.

Maybe Xiao had said too much. He wasn't supposed to tell Venti like this, but he was panicking and just spoke without thinking.

God, what if Venti hates him? What if he stops talking to Xiao? What if he gets angry?

"You..what do you mean..?" Venti finally had the courage to ask.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you—but I and Hisso aren't actually dating. She found out I liked you and offered to help me." He started to explain everything. "She ended up telling me to ask Rita about the confession—I didn't know why but I did it anyway."

Xiao's expression turned into a frown, a puppy-like frown. "I didn't mean to make you upset—"

Venti felt lost, confused. "But—I'm a guy?"

Xiao paused for a second, "I know."

Venti wasn't sure what to say. Venti and Xiao were both men. And Venti was most definitely not gay—or at least he was still trying to convince himself of such.

Just a little while ago Venti had hated Xiao, and wanted nothing to do with him. Now all of a sudden Xiao was confessing to him?

Was it a joke? Was Xiao just told to do this as a dare or something?

As much as Venti didn't want to admit it, that could never be the case. He didn't even know if Xiao knew that game existed. Let alone did he have any friends to play it with besides Venti—

So, there's only one thing to conclude about this interaction. Xiao was serious. It wasn't some prank like the kids would pull on their friends in middle school, it wasn't a bet or a dare Xiao had been pressured to do; it was genuine.

A confession. From no one other than his ex-enemy.

Venti wanted to believe that that was disgusting.

Just then, the final bell rang. Without a word, Venti stormed off, away from Xiao. He was already late, and to top it off he felt dizzy all of a sudden.

This was too much information to take in. He can't believe he'd thought Xiao was trying to flirt with Rita. The idiotic, loser Xiao, who just wanted Venti.

—

Xiao had made a mistake. As he watched Venti ran off, he could do all but look upset. His ears had a slight ring, like his hearing had tuned out awhile ago when he was going off on his little speech.

He knew that this would change a lot. So what was he supposed to do now? Just tell Hisso that Venti had blatantly rejected him and call it off?

Venti didn't even say the words,'I don't like you back.'

He just left.

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