Brick by Brick (Bxb)

Prolouge

"I like you," said Ming Kai. His eyes stared outside the window of the moving train carriage, hands nervously clutching the bar handle overhead.

Ubiquitous laughter filled the background, occasionally punctuated by a little boy demanding attention from his mom. Ming Kai's mind was reeling after realizing the weight of what he had just said. Unable to help himself, he tried to change the topic but was quickly interjected.

"Well...there are different types of likes. The 'like' that we feel for each other is...different, you know?" Xu Wen Kang explained as he awkwardly tried to distance himself from this topic.

Ming Kai simply gazed at the passing scenery. His mind couldn't really process anything that was being said in its current state. 

At least he didn't act disgusted.

"...don't you agree?" 

The question brought him back to reality. The reality in which he just confessed his feelings to his best friend.

Ming Kai didn't have the chance to reply. The train slowed to a stop and the announcement system kicked in. Xu Wen Kang glance at the opening train doors, and back at him, "Here's your stop. See you in school tomorrow," he smiled in reply.

"...Yeah, see you."

The doors closed behind him. His lonely silhouette stood amidst the crowd for a little while before finally moving off. 

It could have been worse.

Rejection sucked. Ming Kai sighed inwardly while consoling himself. At least they were still friends.

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"Shu Yan and I are together."

That was first thing Ming Kai heard from him the next morning during shooting practice. He calmly pulled the trigger and lowered his pistol.

"Really? I didn't know that. How long has it been?" he asked indifferently.

The words weighed heavily on his heart. Ming Kai couldn't help feeling upset. Had he known beforehand that Wen Kang was attached, he wouldn't have bothered confessing yesterday. Stranger still, why were two of them talking about it as if nothing ever happened?

Not that it was bad, but was feigning ignorance actually a good thing? Ming Kai wasn't sure if he could continue pretending to be fine while his crush dated some girl.

"Let's have dinner. The usual," Wen Kang demanded.

They went ahead to their usual eatery. The stall was small and congested, but it gave a homely feel to it. Ming Kai found the portions to be somewhat lacking, but the quality more than made up for what it lacked in quantity. This was the place that the two of them usually frequented. For the record, they would almost always come here for a meal after training, even if dinner has already been prepared back home.

Ming Kai didn't mind spending a little more money, if that meant that they could spend more time together. After all, high school days were coming to an end. And he wanted to treasure the time he had left together.

Except that this time, it wasn't just the two of them.

"Took you long enough!"

Her voice was eloquent, yet every slightly so demanding. Li Shu Yan sat in the center of the room, gesturing impatiently at them.

As soon as they sat, Aunt Song appeared with four dishes precariously balanced on both hands and those tiny forearms. Despite that, she laid them out neatly on the table with practiced efficiency without accidentally spilling anything. Not that Ming Kai wished for anything like that to happen.