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

21

The results were posted early in the morning after the early classroom physical exercise had ended. Everyone was excited, some already pray to whoeverthere God is. And as expected, some students cried in dismay, some jump in happiness for moving up from their previous rank or just because they're safe from the third to the last. Some of them, of course, was no surprise, no anticipation... just confirmation of what had already been discussed.

Ye Ming, as usual, remained indifferent. His name sat comfortably within the top three, right where it had always been. He had expected it. There was no need to check, no need to celebrate or mourn. He adjusted the strap of his bag before removing the only item in it. A throw pillow he stole from the sofa set in his mother's glass garden as he prepared to leave when the sudden shift in the atmosphere caught his attention.

He glanced lazily toward the bulletin board. The crowd had already gathered, though the real spectacle was happening in the middle of it. And he? He can yawned whatever place he wants because none of it is his business to deal.

Guang Kai was standing still, staring at the rankings as if he had just read his own obituary. His fingers twitched slightly, his face unreadable, but the tension rolling off him was obvious. His name sat at second place. And at the very top, in bold, undeniable print, was Jing Jian.

He regards his own self as someone indispensable, intelligent and always ahead. So seeing Jing Jian's name atop of his... It's either disgracing his family's surname and putting a mark on his head that is, there is someone who is better than him and he cannot accept. He will never accept it.

Jing Jian, a transfer student who hadn't even been here long enough to establish himself as competition, had somehow dethroned Guang Kai.

The moment stretched. The murmurs grew. And then—

"You've got to be joking," Guang Kai finally said, his voice calm, but sharp enough to cut through the crowd.

The cover of the advanced math textbook in his hand almost wrinkles because of how strong his grip is.

Jing Jian, standing off to the side, barely glanced up from where he had been scrolling through his phone. "Huh?" He followed Guang Kai's gaze to the rankings and let out a low whistle. "Oh. Guess I'm first."

Ye Ming sighed. He could already tell where this was going.

Guang Kai turned fully toward Jing Jian, his posture composed but unnervingly stiff. "How did you do it?"

He is trying to keep everything calm, his gloved hand weakens the pressure of his grip to the textbook, but still, the strength was scary.

Jing Jian grinned. "Would you believe me if I said hard work?"

"No."

Jing Jian chuckled, putting to his chest in a cross manner. "Wow, no faith in me at all? I'm kind of hurt."

Guang Kai's eyes narrowed, not accepting Jing Jian's playful actions and words. "You never took studying seriously before. And now, suddenly, you're first?"

Jing Jian shrugged. "Maybe I was just tired of seeing your name up there all the time. Thought I'd mix things up a little." He tilted his head. "Looks like it worked."

The silence that followed was thick. The crowd wasn't even pretending to mind their business anymore.

Ye Ming sighed again, already exhausted by their nonsense. But before he could slip away, he heard another, much more pathetic sound of suffering from the crowd.

Li Wei, staring at the rankings like he had just witnessed a personal betrayal, let out a dramatic gasp. "Third to last?" He clutched his chest. "THIRD TO LAST?" His voice cracked. "Who the hell are these two people dumber than me? I need to find them and shake their hands."

Jing Jian let out a laugh, but Guang Kai didn't move, his gaze still locked onto him. "You think this is a game?"

Jing Jian raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

"You have no reason to try this hard," Guang Kai said. "Not unless there's something you want."

Jing Jian smirked. "Maybe I just wanted to see you lose."

Guang Kai exhaled slowly, reigning in his irritation. "If you think this is over, you're mistaken."

"Good," Jing Jian replied easily. "Would've been boring if it ended here."

The crowd watched, eyes darting between them, anticipation thick in the air.

Ye Ming? He had already turned away. None of this had anything to do with him. Or at least, that's what he thought—until he heard Jing Jian's next words.

"Maybe I just needed a little motivation," Jing Jian mused, loud enough for Guang Kai to hear.

Ye Ming didn't even pause. He kept walking. He already knew this was about to get worse.

Sue: 803 words and Ochi said no more. She's having a great rare headache right now... Maybe Ochi needs to be sick everyday to have a motivation to write.