Unsaid Love Story

Chapter 9

Zhan has to concentrate, but he feels stuck. Stuck between a rock, a hard place, and the unrelenting mass of energy and fire known as Wang Yibo, whom he is unsure how to handle, as a lot of unsaid emotions have been buried deep inside him for almost ten years. 'Unsaid' means a strange feeling that we can't let words give meaning to what and how we feel, yet we crave and ache for what we shouldn't.

Groaning, he tries to smack himself, but seeing the people around him, he pretends to brush his hair and focuses on rehearsal. Friday is not too far off, and he risks not only his career but also his bandmates' well-being. On top of that, it's the preview for their massive four-month tour—a significant deal!

Burying some memories hasn't been easy, but he never expected it to get this hard since Yibo reappeared in his life. Each moment with him replays in his head like a broken record, over and over again, so he feels nothing but troubled even breathing in the presence of him.

"You sabotage yourself by thinking too much when you sing," Ji Li says, looking up. "What is bothering you?"

Falling on deaf ears, Zhan grabs a pebble from the windowsill and clenches his fist, staring at the back of his hand as if it holds the whispers of an unsaid dream, slipping back into the past.

The day had started boring for Zhan, with his first two classes being so uneventful and monotonous that his mind wandered to thoughts of the weekend ahead. However, as he walked into his third class, he was struck by the energetic atmosphere. The room buzzed with excitement as the students chattered about the upcoming singing competition.

Zhan's ears perked up at the mention of the competition, and his interest was piqued. He had always loved to sing, but he'd never had the courage to perform in front of a crowd. The thought of showcasing his talent to his peers was both exhilarating and terrifying. He chewed his lip and fidgeted with his pen, unsure whether to sign up or not.

Lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice someone standing in front of him, holding their fist out, until his pen was snatched from his grasp. Startled, he looked up to see the same light brown-eyed boy who had never once failed to charm his way in. But why? How? What did he want?

Yibo looked no different than at any other time, but every time he wandered around, all eyes were on him. His clothes followed school ethics but added some of his own flair. His hair, a bleached golden-brown, fell effortlessly over his forehead. His smile, easy and inviting, carried a hint of mischief that made others wary.

Zhan opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He just stared at Yibo with his mouth agape. Eventually, he realized what a fool he could be, so he quickly averted his gaze, muttering under his breath.

Yibo chuckled, still holding his fist out.

Zhan thought ignoring the other boy would force him to walk away, but that didn't happen. He felt irritated, so he pushed Yibo's hand away and glared at him. "What?"

Yibo smiled and extended his fist again, clearly up to something. "Can you find anything different?"

Zhan glanced at Yibo and then at his fist, trying to discern what the other was talking about, but he found nothing, so he looked up. "No!" Even though he replied, his curiosity wondered why someone would ask if there wasn't anything. Could his eyesight be failing or his knowledge be lacking?

He shook his head as if to protest his own thoughts and glared at Yibo's hand as if offended.

"No? Just look at it carefully and say something," Yibo said, cocking his head to the side and winking playfully.