My Lethe

Go to dinner with me.

Zhang Mei arrived to school on time, like he usually did. He always had perfect attendance and was never tardy. At every school he's been to in his life, he was always known as the student who never got sick. But in fact he usually did get sick, but he liked school. He didn't like to miss it.
When he entered the classroom he looked in the back to his desk. He was surprised to see that Qiang was there. He was usually always late to class. When Qiang saw Zhang Wei walk down the aisle, he sat up in his seat and waited for Zhang Wei's to take his own.

"Hey, Wei," Qiang said. He smiled at Zhang Wei, who smiled back slightly and started to unpack his book bag," What are you-" Qiang began to say but was cut off by his class mates.

"Hey Qiang, the other boys in this classroom were saying that Korean girl groups look cuter than Chinese. Do you agree?" Qiang looked up at the boy who sat in front of him. His classmates always asked him his opinion of different matters. It was like his opinion would be counted as the correct opinion. If Qiang said yes, the entire school would also say yes.

"Hell if I care," Qiang said and returned his attention to Zhang Wei," so what do you think? Chinese girl groups or Korean?"

Zhang Wei looked through a packet on his desk before answering Qiang," Don't care either," he said and looked down at his packet. Qiang smiled to himself. Zhang Wei rarely spoke to him even when Qiang made every effort to speak to him. For some reason, Qiang wanted to get closer to him, yet Zhang Wei didn't seem to care about him at all.

"Wow. Most teenage boys go crazy over a cute girl group," Qiang began to tease Zhang Wei, wanting to see if he could at least figure out what Zhang Wei was interested in," what's your favorite group?"

"Dont listen to them."

Qiang accepted his response.

"What do you listen to then?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Everyone listens to something."

"Wrong. Not everyone listens to something. A prime example is Qiang who doesn't listen when his teachers are talking."

Qiang let out a deep breath and turned around to face the front of the classroom. He had been so busy trying to pry through Zhang Wei's likes that he didn't realize the class had started. He looked over at Zhang Wei, and his heart skipped a beat. Zhang Wei was laughing at Qiang being picked on by the teacher. But that wasn't what made his heart skip, it was his smile. Qiang stared at Zhang Wei as his smile disappeared little by little each second. And just like his eyes, Qiang wanted to see Zhang Wei smile again.

When the class had a free period Qiang stayed behind. Usually, Qiang would roam the halls and if he wanted, smoke a cigarette in the bathroom. But today, Zhang Wei stayed behind, and he wanted to stay behind too.
There was only a few other students in the classroom with Zhang Wei and Qiang. Truthfully, Qiang wanted them all to leave. He wanted to be alone in that room with Zhang Wei. So he knew what he had to do.

Qiang stood up and went to the group of three students and leaned into them," I need a favor," Qiang said," I have a migraine today, and I really need the silence. I'll give you all money to go to the cafe and get some snacks so I can rest."

"But Zhang Wei is still in here," a student said. Qiang nodded his head. He wanted him there.

"You know Zhang Wei, he doesn't speak. Are you guys going to do me this favor?"

"Why don't you go to the infirmary? You can rest on the cot." Absolutely not, Qiang thought to himself.

"It's too cold."

"Okay, okay we'll go Qiang, but it's just for you," they all agreed. Qiang handed them the money but they rejected. Of course they wouldn't take his money so he put it back in his wallet and closed both of the classroom doors.

Qiang went back to his desk and sat facing Zhang Wei. He watched Zhang Wei read a magna peacefully. Qiang couldn't understand why he was so intrigued by Zhang Wei. He couldn't understand why he thought of him so much and why he wanted to get so close to him. He was sure Zhang Wei didn't think of him.

"You read a lot of manga? " Qiang asked. Zhang Wei nodded," You want me to buy you more?" Zhang Wei shook his head. In his head, he wondered why someone who was simply his classmate would offer to buy him manga. They weren't close, so it didn't seem appropriate "can you look up at me?"

Zhang Wei quickly looked up at him," I don't want you to buy me manga, okay?"

Qiang leaned over and closed Zhang Wei's book before taking it and placing it in his desk," Okay I understand. I won't buy you any," he said and leaned his face against his hands. He watched Zhang Wei find something else to occupy himself with," Zhang Wei," he said. Zhang Wei didn't look up," Hey, Zhang Wei, you want to see a movie?"

"No thank you." Qiang didn't think he'd say yes, but he wanted to know why he rejected him.

"Why not? Don't you like me?"

Zhang Wei finally looked up," Of course not. I don't know you better than I know the stranger on the bus."

"Then I'll take you out to dinner. You can get to know me and then we'll see a movie."

"Why do I need to get to know you? " Zhang Wei asked. He seemed to have been getting frustrated by Qiang at this point. He constantly asked him questioned and spoke to him when he obviously wanted to be left alone. He didn't mind conversation, but not nagging conversation.

"What if I want to get to know you?" Zhang Wei laughed and shook his head," You're laughing? " Zhang Wei nodded and continued to laugh more. Zhang Wei obviously thought that Qiang's interest in him was a joke.

"Why are you laughing?" Qiang pressed the question. He was genuine about wanting to know Zhang Wei, and Zhang Wei was laughing! " Stop laughing Zhang Wei. Go to dinner with me. I'm serious."

"You couldn't possibly want to go to dinner with me," Zhang Wei said as the classroom started to slowly fill with students. Qiang sunk low in his seat out of frustration and disappointment. He was genuine. He didn't know why, but he was genuine. He did really want to go to dinner with Zhang Wei and he wasn't sure what that could mean.

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I wanted to post another chapter today. This chapter is obviously focused on Zhang Wei and Qiang's interactions.. But I have a question... Is it better to read a chapter with ONLY their interactions or a chapter that has medium/ decent amount of interaction + backstory/ home lives aka non school lives ? What do the readers prefer?