Play my heart

Chapter X

The next is the last day of school before winter recess. It takes six hours for Connor and Caesar to give up on their interrogations about where Darren had to go in such a rush the previous night. He tells them absolutely nothing (any detail is too incriminating), and they're used enough to him being a mystery that they finally accept it. Adryan berates him for ditching them, but shows no interest in what he might have been doing.

"You're in a good mood," is all Dawn says, ruffling his hair.

They're hanging out in the lounge in between their afternoon lessons. He makes himself a cup of tea and sips out of it while watching a video. He doesn't notice someone walking up to the entrance of the lounge until a shout pierces through the air.

"You!"

Darren jumps, almost spilling his tea. Looking up with startled expression, he finds a pissed off Lee Jung in the doorstep.

"Why the fuck did you do that?"

"Do what?"

His friends appear to be as lost as he is.

"That huge donation. What the hell?" says Lee, ears red and breath fast.

Darren blinks and leaves the teacup on its plate, avoiding Lee's gaze.

"Why do you think it was me?"

"They fucking called me, that's why. Who else could it be? They said to thank the stupid Prince Charming for that big ass donation. As if!"

"And why are you mad?"

The color of Lee's ears spreads to his cheeks, and his tirade falters for a moment. It seems like he hasn't thought about that.

"Because!" is what he yells before turning on his heel and sprinting out of the room.

"Wait!"

Darren runs after him, ignoring the puzzled looks his friends shoot at him on the way. He follows Lee through a hallway, and finally stops him at the central hall of the building. He's panting by that point, so it takes him a second to be able to speak. Lee only glares at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Play a duet with me."

They're both full of surprises, it seems, because it's Lee's turn to be startled.

"What."

Those are Darren's feelings exactly, having had no idea he was going to say that. His mouth really has a mind of its own nowadays. He staggers a little, but ends up deciding to go with it.

"Um, you said there's another concert coming up next month, right? It's just, um. It could be good for the orphanage if we. If we played together. It'd be cool, if- if you want to."

Lee stares at him like he's grown a second head.

"Do you?"

Good question.

"Uh. Yeah?"

Crossing his arms over his chest, Lee squints his eyes and chews at his bottom lip, pensively. Darren fears he might be sweating despite the cold.

"You're a weirdo, but okay. I'll do it."

Not that it was the intention all along, because it wasn't, but that's how he gets Lee's phone number (and the promise, or threat, of seeing him repeatedly over the next month and a half).