University High (Yizhan Fanfiction)

Chapter 24

The two sat on the grand stage of the auditorium side by side. Their feet dangling down the edge. Yibo rested his head on Zhan's shoulders. Xiaozhan closed his eyes imagining a scene in his mind. The students lining up to receive their degree in front of the audience. Everyone's eyes fixated on him as he walked down and receive the highest medal. Every one would give him a standing ovation

"You know.. I was here for three and a half years dreaming every day that I would walk up this stage and give a speech right here as the top student." he paused for a moment, then continued.

"But I never did. I blew my chances."

Xiaozhan took another deep breath, "But seeing my first batch of students walking up this stage and receiving the honors somehow made up for it a little. Now I can help them walk this stage and finish what I was not able to."

"Why laoshi? didn't you graduate from this school as well?" The boy beside him asked, his head still glued to Xiaozhan's shoulder

"I was supposed to but i dropped out half a year before graduation... but I did graduate overseas twice after that. It was a different feeling though."

"I heard you were a straight A student here laoshi."

"Of course I was. I was a straight A student everywhere"

Xiaozhan had a deep forlorn gaze as if recalling something painful from the past. Yibo found Xiaozhan's hands and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Its okay laoshi. You don't have to tell me."

Xiaozhan laughed. He was no longer that fragile. Not anymore. They were his painful childish memories. But who doesn't have them?

"I had someone but he betrayed me. Back then I was young and stupid. So stupid that I could even abandon the thing that I've been working so hard for for four years."

"Is that why you went out your way to make sure I attend your classes and even tutored me on the side?"

Xiaozhan nodded. "So no one would make that stupid mistake like I did and regretted afterwards."

"But everyone makes mistake laoshi.. its part of growing up. Isn't it better to make the mistake early on than later? Besides you graduated from a better school than this. And theres also so many good things about you. Don't be so hard on yourself. I mean.. Without you I wouldn't even take my studies so seriously."

Yibo got up and sat behind Xiaozhan, wrapping his body around Xiaozhan's back. Xiaozhan felt his body sinking into the warm embrace. It made him feel very lazy so he let himself be pampered like that. He had not felt that way in a long while. It was soft, comforting and it felt home.

"Hey you'll make us fall" Xiaozhan said staring at the ground below them. They were about a metre and a half down from the edge of their feet.

"I won't laoshi unless you pull me down."

Seeing that Xiaozhan did not try to push him away, Yibo decided to ask him what he had meaning to ask for a long while.

"Laoshi, I've finally graduated."

"Mmm? so?"

"As of today, I'm no longer your student"

"Mmm" Xiaozhan nodded but said nothing.

"Can I ask for a graduation gift from you?"

"Huh? Sure as long as its not unreasonable I don't see why not."

"Can we go on a date?"

The question caught Xiaozhan off guard. He had expected Yibo to make a move and somehow had prepared himself. But when it really came, he found himself to be quite at loss.