FORBIDDEN

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 11

If mornings had a flavor, this one tasted like half-burnt toast and too-strong vending machine coffee. Zhan yawned as they stepped through the front gates of the campus, his steps light and unhurried while Yibo walked beside him, already radiating his usual cool indifference... except for the scowl aimed at the sun.

"I still don't get why we had to come to school this early," Yibo grumbled, adjusting the strap on his bag. "I could've had two more hours of sleep. Maybe three."

"I told you," Zhan said, sipping from a cold drink, "today is light. No chaos. No mysterious attacks. Just normal, boring, soul-draining school."

Yibo gave him a side-eye. "You say that like it's a good thing."

"It is," Zhan said, grinning. "You need to relax. You've been broody since yesterday."

"I'm not broody," Yibo replied flatly.

"You sighed dramatically when your cereal ran out this morning."

"That cereal was the only good thing I had going for me."

Zhan laughed, bumping his shoulder into Yibo's. "Poor Alpha."

"You're enjoying this."

"Absolutely."

The two walked across the school courtyard, surrounded by clusters of students chatting, laughing, or trying to cram forgotten homework. Zhan glanced around, taking in the brief sense of normalcy. It felt almost... safe.

They entered the main building, climbing a set of stairs toward their shared classroom. The hallways buzzed with chatter, footsteps, and the scent of cheap cologne.

Just as they turned the corner—

"Fancy seeing you two here."

Zhan froze mid-step. Yibo blinked. Then, both turned toward the unmistakable voice.

Zhou Cheng

He is leaning against a row of lockers, arms crossed and a familiar mischievous smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Zhan groaned audibly. "Why are you here?"

"It's a school," Zhou Cheng said innocently. "I'm allowed to visit, you know."

"You don't go here."

"I'm auditing a class."

"No, you're auditing my peace of mind."

Yibo raised a brow. "Oh, it's you again."

Zhou Cheng grinned at Yibo. "Good morning, Alpha Yibo. Looking sharp as always."

Yibo narrowed his eyes. "Don't flirt. You're weird today."

Zhou Cheng chuckled. "Who's flirting? I'm being respectful."

Zhan muttered, "Your idea of 'respect' is calling someone 'puppy' while trying to steal their lunch money."

Zhou Cheng made an exaggerated expression of shock. "You wound me, little brother."

Yibo smirked, amused. "Wait, did he really steal your lunch money?"

"Only once," Zhan said, brushing past. "When we were seven. And I hexed his socks for a week."

"They kept slapping me when I walked," Zhou Cheng added, oddly proud. "We've had a healthy sibling dynamic ever since."

The trio reached the classroom, and the door was still unlocked, a few students already seated. Sunlight flooded the back row — their usual spot — so Zhan and Yibo claimed it while Zhou Cheng slinked in and found a seat two rows ahead.