Infinite

The surprise

'People really need to stop knocking on the door.'

He heard two more knocks before he lost his calm and walked out of the study room. Today was one of those days for him... One of those days when you just wake up inspired. You open your eyes to the fresh rays of the dawn and you know that it will be a good day. 

As a writer, he had always shut himself away from the world when he needed to work. Once he had started writing, he had realised the joys of working alone. For him, the experience was close to meditation. It was almost spiritual when the words flowed on paper. He had started it with pen and paper as a child. Now he used a laptop instead. 

Originally it had been a typewriter while in university and his brother had pushed him to buy a laptop. Calling him a grandpa had definitely helped. And he had realised that there are perks to technology. Notably, research and designing. His brother would disown him if he knew that the device collected dust on most days. 

Being technologically ignorant had never really bothered him. Ignorant was mildly putting it. 

So, when someone interrupted him writing, it got on his nerves. It rattled his mood in a way that he cannot explain. He walked over to the door and almost yanked it off its hinges. 

"Can I help you?" His mouth clamped shut as soon as he saw the person on the other side of the room. She still had the same smile and looked radiant. He still remembered their first encounter, she was memorable after all. 

"I hope it's not a bad time?" The smile turned sheepish and he could tell she was genuinely feeling bad about disturbing him. 

"um.. no. Please come in." He moved aside to give her room to step inside. 

"I apologise! Wei Ying visited me on Wednesday night and forgot his laptop at my place. He was going to collect it tonight, unfortunately, he just remembered that he had his presentation and the presentation notes in the laptop. I would go myself, but I really cannot. I have to be somewhere as well."

Lan Wangji zoned in on the 'Wei Ying visited me on Wednesday night.' It started running on his mind on a loop and he almost didn't catch the rest. 

"...Its in 20 minutes and I have to run. I remember..."

'The man that he is crazy about, went to visit his girlfriend. And she is here at his doorstep now. Was this some sick colossal joke?'

"...that you lived here..."

'He promised himself that he would never date men who were taken. He vowed to never break that promise. Then this man storms into his life like a hurricane and everything else went with the wind.'  He reminded himself to breathe.

"...So, could you please give this to him? I have written down the address of the university in this paper. Please do this for me? His class starts in an hour. Thank you so much!!"

"Yes... sure..."

"He was right! you really are a saviour. Thank you Lan Wangji." Saying that she was gone. There were barely any traces left. He looked at the heavy laptop in his arms and contemplated not going. But as a person who loves his work, he knew that this would be morally wrong. He looked up at the ceiling for a long moment as if it held all the answers to his questions.

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The noise of skateboards and acapella groups practising was all the more familiar to him. It almost took him back to his university days. He hadn't changed much for then. He was a 100-year-old soul in a 20-year-old body back then as well.