Facets of Fate

Chapter 5: He and Him

It's already monday and Xiao Zhan considers staying in bed for a month, or possibly a year until Yibo was completely erased from his mind (which he knows wouldn't happen because Yibo is unforgettable with that small face of his–) but looks like his plan was now foiled when the door to his room suddenly flew open and from there, his mother emerged with flaring nostrils and hands on her hips.

Xiao Zhan stared at her from his sitting position on the bed, wrapped up tightly with his bedsheets and perfectly imitating a human cocoon. Mrs. Xiao (or more commonly known as Guan Yin) walked towards where her son was, resembling a predator on a prowl before grabbing the bedsheets wrapped around Xiao Zhan, effectively pulling it away. The latter wasn't fazed, staring impassively at her.

Her annoyance was apparent as she frowned, eyebrows knitted and lips pursed unhappily.

"Zhanzhan! You have classes today, no? What are you doing?" She said, exasperated. Xiao Zhan takes a deep breath, making a weird sort of like he's dead inside face. "...can I skip?" He mumbled, earning a dissatisfied glare from the other.

"No."

As expected.

He watched as his mother changed expression, from annoyance to worry as she sat on his bed and pinched his cheek. "What's wrong?"

He contemplated whether he should tell her or not, but she didn't want to add to her problems. She already has too much in her hands, and Xiao Zhan doesn't want to act spoiled. The teen felt bad, knowing that his mother was not one who gets mad easily. She's currently mad with worry, and he blames himself for making her anxious like this.

"There's nothing wrong, mom. Just wanted to skip because I'm lazy." He told her, looking down and feeling sorry that he just lied.

His mother looked like she didn't buy it, brushing his cheekbones with her dainty fingers. "Zhan, I'm your mother. I know something is definitely wrong, but I won't force you to tell me. You don't have to lie." She then flicked his forehead and smiled. "If you really don't want to go to school, that's fine. You look like you're not well too."

He wanted to cry at that but he held himself back.

He shook his head, telling her that he'll attend school and sighed before reluctantly leaving his bed. Guan Yin watched all of this with a frown, sitting still in shock when her son hugged her tightly before going inside the bathroom.

She puts her palm on her cheek, befuddled.

"My Zhan...what made him like this?"

Xiao Zhan stares at his reflection on the mirror placed inside the bathroom. His face looks pale, eyes slightly red from crying last night, and prominent eye bags which are darker than normal glaring back at him.

He sighed, furrowing his eyebrows and wincing when he felt his eyes stinging from the action. He feels an oncoming headache and he hopes it will not continue, he just got better from his flu. He cannot have himself sick again.

Guess it's time to have his heart broken today too.

He slaps both of his cheeks before removing his clothes, you can do this Xiao Zhan!

Or...not.

As soon as he reaches school, what greeted him was this sight.

It came earlier than he expected.

The wind gently caressed his flushed cheeks as if to reassure him that everything was fine. But he knew it was not. After all, it was already engraved deep inside his mind. He knew it would eventually happen, he just didn't know it would happen so soon.