No boys allowed

39. Homework

"Hi there, how are you?"

"Yang!"

"Who have you expected, the fairy godmother?" Yangyang's laugh was like music.

"I love you," whispered Xiaojun before he could bite his tongue.

There was a loud sigh on the other side, almost as loud as his father's a few minutes ago, he could image Yangyang rolling his eyes.

"Listen there, I'm calling from school using my friend's phone, I don't have much time. Just need to check if you're keeping your promise and how the recording of the album with Mr. Jeno is going."

Are you really so cool about it, thought Xiaojun yet decided to keep the question to himself.

"Um..."

"Don't um me. Are you stuck in your room like a dying rhinoceros?"

"Ah..."

"Get out of there now. You've promised me something. When I come back in 18 months I want you to be fit and look kissable not be a wrinkled hermit with a long beard."

Xiaojun even chuckled. Why were Yang's insults like warm cuddles.

"Next time I call I want some progress in that matter."

"Just to your knowledge I'm not growing a bread," whispered Xiaojun.

"I know puberty hasn't hit you yet, but first things first. How's the album?"

"Ah... I recorded a song with Jeno but he says it's trash."

"What have I told you about writing trashy songs? Don't you have brilliant songs to record?"

"I... my notebook is empty. Since you have left I have no inspiration," Xiaojun as hot and cold.

"Ok listen there, stay on the line."

A silence fell, Xiaojun could only hear some noises of movement. It was a longer while of him just sitting on his bed shivering from excitement. Was Yangyang really the reason of his liveliness. No photosynthesis of his system possible without that sun.

"Xiaojun, are you there."

"Where else should I be?" Xiaojun felt his toes dancing on the cold floor.

"So listen. I came up with a melody lately. I wrote a rap to it, I'll play it for you now, I'm in the music room my friend will record for me. Izgar halt die Kamera!"

Xiaojun chuckled listening how his over energetic friend was commanding a boy around, even though he didn't understand a thing.

A moment letter a video conversation appeared so Xiaojun pressed the camera to see Yangyang sitting on a chair at a piano playing a smooth melody. He needed to concentrate on the music a lot as it was rather the person he loved so much drawing him in. Yangyang's orange hair, his beautiful hands pressing the keyboard, his frowned brows, the line of his nose and lips he wished to kiss so badly. There was a rapid fire breaking out in his body, as smooth as the song. The pictures in his mind bringing back the memories of that tiny shower cabin and the mattress on the floor in the countryside house. Why were the over 5 thousand miles between him and his Yangyang?

The music stopped and Yangyang turned to the camera.

"Have you remembered it?"

"Yes, no... I mean..."

"Xiaojun! Get yourself together. Look at yourself, uncombed in a pajama, pale as a ghost. Be a man! I know how much of a man you can be..."

Yangyang's cheeks turned a shade of purple.

"Anyway use that melody to make a real hit."

"I... I don't remember it," stuttered Xiaojun.

"Bullshit! You can remember a melody you've only heard once. Why weren't you focused? What were you thinking about?"

"You."

Their eyes met giving Xiaojun all types of butterflies. Yangyang just rolled his eyes.

"We're bro's, nothing more remember. Send a text on that number once you have the song and I'll call you to listen to the demo. I... gotta be going, the next lesson starts."

Yangyang turned the camera off when silence fell.

Xiaojun was sitting there trying his best to recall the melody yet there was just emptiness in his head. The only thing he could visualize was Yangyang playing piano.

The heat was trying to melt them into a puddle of sweat when Xiaojun and Jumin were sitting in a small shadow of a roof of the palace wall. Mandatory school trips were nightmarish yet not invincible.

"I wouldn't give in a career like that if I were you," Jumin was drawing the ancient animal, which was supposed to bring luck, you just needed to touch it's sculpture at the main palace stairs, at least that was what the travel guide had instructed them to do.

"Everyone's different," Xiaojun was watching the visitors, most dressed in traditional robes they had hired for that occasion.

Their class was definitely running the place buildings up and down by now. Xiaojun had said he's not feeling well and Jumin agreed to stay with him.

"Seriously the way you sang at prom, you don't need Yang to be successful."

These words were like knives, now Xiaojun regretted not merging into the crowd of tourists and embracing the heat.

"Lee Jeno has a free spot for an artist, you can audition."

"You're weird man," Jumin suddenly jumped up storming off towards the gate to the next courtyard. Xiaojun was happy he could finally stay in silence, pretend there's nothing more just that insanely hot day. Nothing to miss, nothing to regret.

A sudden melody started to play in his head, like if his memory had kept it there for the past four months finally releasing it from the prison of forgetting. Xiaojun emptied his pockets making some mess on the stairs as a lot of handkerchiefs landed on the steps, he didn't care though finding the small notebook and a pen.

'Like red, like rain

Music of subtraction...'

"Xiaojun!"

Thank you so much for your support. Did you like the chapter? What do you think about Yangyang's reasons to call Xiaojun and their conversation? Who is calling Xiaojun?

Much <3