You fill my lungs and take away the air [Global Examination]

Chapter 16: Under everything unsaid

With a bag of fresh ingredients in his hand, Wen Yuan walked up to 154's door, and knocked on it gently.

"154? 154! It's me, 922!" Wen Yuan called out, "I'm outside! Uh... let me in? Please?"

The lights in 154's apartment were off, which was odd, since it wasn't that late, and 154 wasn't usually asleep at this time. Heck, it probably wasn't even time for an evening snack yet, so 154 should still be at home, and not out grabbing some dumplings for dinner or something like that.

He was already worried enough, because 154 always read his texts and messages within a day, never missed his calls... and now, he had gone radio silent for several days straight.

"Are you alright!? I have some cough syrup! And chicken stock! Uh... I don't know if steak is good for you, but I know you like my cooking! Let me in, please?"

Silence.

Wen Yuan couldn't help the cold tingling sensation that ran through his body... because something was clearly wrong.

As much as he'd like to think that maybe 154 had finally decided to take some time for himself, and had just gone clothes shopping, or running a few errands... even though Wen Yuan really couldn't think of what "errands" he could possible have to run while they were stuck in this hellhole, he knew 154 well.

There was no reason for him to not be in his apartment on his days off, since 154 wasn't even the type to go shopping, let alone gallivanting all over the place. He'd only go out to buy something to replace something that broke, and with his efficiency and temperament, it would probably be a five minute affair.

Or maybe...

Or maybe 154 was purposefully ignoring him.

Wen Yuan knows that he tends to speak before he thinks, and that he could be rather irritating at times. He was stupid and slow and clumsy, and he was only alive as an invigilator right now because he was lucky to have been grouped with competent teammates.

The exams in 154's time had just gone downhill from there, and yet, 154 had managed to get through the exams, and had even earned such a high rank. Then, from handling all the paperwork, to the System's matters, to doing his best to take care of himself and Qin Jiu in his own little special way that just didn't make sense to everyone else...

The difference in skill between them was just way too obvious.

If 154 had grown tired of him... Wen Yuan honestly wouldn't blame him.

"Or just... say something, anything? Or if there's anything else you want? If... if you want me to leave, I can do that too, just... tell me?"

Or maybe he was just overthinking things.

154 was normally very calm and quiet, but if he didn't like something, he would call it out almost immediately, with the only exceptions being Qin Jiu's more... eccentric ideas.

That, and him constantly annoying the System.

If Wen Yuan truly did something to set him off, he was pretty sure that 154 would tell him off almost immediately. There was no point in being ambiguous, since that would just result in more time being wasted due to not understanding the problem at hand; 154 was stern and serious, but also straightforward like that.

It was definitely one of 154's many traits that Wen Yuan liked.

So if Wen Yuan's regular episodes of idiocy wasn't the problem... maybe 154 was just feeling super under the weather, and it's bad enough that he didn't feel like using his phone, or being bothered?