What's the Point of Living, when the best is Sleeping? [BL]

12

Alas! The Foundation Day had arrived.

The gates of the school were thrown open, wide and welcoming. Students from nearby schools, proud parents eager to support their children, and various recruiters on the lookout for new talent all poured in. It was a bustling event. The sun, bright and warm, bathed everything in a golden hue, making the event feel even more vibrant and alive. The atmosphere was perfect for celebration. Yet for some, the weather was also the perfect excuse for a long, luxurious nap.

Inside a sleek BMW, Ye Ming sat buckled into the passenger seat, refusing to move. His body, which seemed unusually energetic for once, was tucked stubbornly against the center console. His mother, seated in the driver's seat, glanced back at him with concern. She was usually calm, but seeing her son acting so strangely was starting to wear on her.

"A-Ming, you need to attend Foundation Day. Attendance is mandatory," Mother Ye urged, her voice soft but insistent. Her eyes, youthful and radiant despite the years, now held a hint of worry. Ye Ming, her easygoing, carefree son, had recently become stubborn, resistant in a way she hadn't seen before.

In the backseat, his older brother Ye Chuang kept checking his watch impatiently. "Hurry up, Ming! You're making us late!" he said, giving Ye Ming a nudge that lacked any real force. It was more symbolic than anything. He had been dragged into this mess, along with their older sister Ye Jia, who was busy in her own world, focused on her makeup, paying no attention to the battle of wills unfolding before her.

Even Ye Jia had tried earlier to help, pulling and pushing Ye Ming out of the car, but her efforts had been in vain. She'd since given up, choosing to fix her lipstick instead of continuing to wrestle with her brother.

"XiaoMing! You need to attend the school's Foundation Day! We'll watch you sing!" Mother Ye cheered, clapping as she attempted to coax him out of the car. Her voice was filled with hope, as if she were envisioning her son standing confidently on stage, basking in applause. But Ye Ming wanted to cry. His family's persistence never ceased to amaze him. He'd seen their stubbornness countless times, but it never got easier to deal with.

This wasn't the first time they'd forced him into something like this, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. However, he also knew what awaited him at school. The attention that should have been given to Bai Yuer, the school's golden girl, would shift to him. He'd read the book—he knew what was coming. Those three scumbag musketeers would surely have their eyes on him, and there was no escape. Not today.

The novel sucks! Ye Ming lamented inwardly. He longed for the real Ye Ming's life, one without these complications. Sadly, escape wasn't an option. It wasn't just laziness keeping him in place, but the understanding that running wouldn't help. Not in this world. This was no longer just a story—it was real, alive, and filled with people who had their own lives, their own consciousness. The stakes were higher than ever.

Maybe if he played along, it would be safer. Maybe if he let them have their way, he could protect himself and his family. But was it worth the risk? Like a game of Russian roulette, with one bullet in the chamber, the odds were not in his favor. Only one in six chances of safety. Did he really want to gamble his peace of mind for this?

The bitter taste of doubt filled his mouth as he bit the inside of his cheek, trying to ground himself. He knew he had no real choice.

"But I'm not going to sing," Ye Ming muttered under his breath, finally gathering the energy to move. He opened the car door with an exasperated sigh and stepped out. His strength wasn't going to last much longer. He knew he'd need to recharge soon—preferably with three days of uninterrupted sleep. He was like a broken battery, only able to function for a short burst before needing a long recharge.

As he walked through the bustling crowd, a strange feeling washed over him. His mind, usually a tangle of half-formed thoughts, went completely blank. His feet halted in the middle of the chaos, as if someone had hit the pause button on his body. The bitter taste in his mouth returned, more potent this time, like an odd, lingering sensation from handling something sticky and unclean.

What was it? What was that feeling? It gnawed at him, a question he couldn't fully understand. He had always been lazy—so lazy that nothing ever felt truly urgent. But why did this moment feel different? Why did it feel like running away wasn't just an option, but a necessity?

Who were they, really? The three musketeers, the so-called main characters of this twisted story. What could Ye Ming possibly gain from playing along with them? Nothing but trouble, that much was clear. His mind circled around the same questions, spinning like a wheel that never quite found its center. He couldn't understand why he felt so detached, so unbothered by the glances of the people passing by.

And then, a deeper question surfaced, one that sent a chill through him. Were the emotions he felt—frustration, confusion, even fear—truly his own? Or was he just pretending, tagging along with the script that had been laid out for him? Was he simply playing a role in a story he didn't want to be part of?

His thoughts drifted, wandering into a strange, dark place. He had used sleep as an escape for so long—was it because he was running from something deeper? His old life, the one he couldn't quite remember? His name, his identity from before... they were already fading from his memory, like the distant hum of a forgotten song.

The sunlight cast a golden glow on his side profile, highlighting his pale skin and making his blue eyes gleam like jewels beneath the cloudless sky. He stood there, still as a statue, oblivious to the people around him. His mind was a storm, swirling with too many thoughts and yet, somehow, feeling completely empty.

It was in that moment, as the weight of everything crashed over him, that Ye Ming's body gave in. His legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed, sinking to the ground. The world around him blurred, the sunlight fading as darkness took over.

For a fleeting moment, as the bitter taste in his mouth overwhelmed him, Ye Ming wondered if he had ever really been awake at all.