"Bro, you look like shit." Shen Yun said flatly as Ah Chong slumped into his seat. "How will the girls take it, seeing their handsome Ah Chong in such a tragic state?" he continued, feigning concern.
Ah Chong didn't even look up. He simply just rolled his eyes, lifted a hand and flipped him off.
Sleeping proved to be quite difficult as Ah Chong predicted. Every time he closed his eyes, that stupid photo burned in his brain like it was projected on the inside of his eyelids. He swears that the picture has probably burned itself in the inside of his eyelids.
"No, no, seriously," Shen Yun went on dramatically. "They'll probably be like—'Oh nooo! Our prince has fallen!'" He pitched his voice high, doing his best attempt at a girl voice, and clutched his chest in mock despair.
Ah Chong groans, "You're so fucking annoying in the morning."
"That's just my charm," Shen Yun admits proudly, "I am the voice of the people."
"The people want you to shut up."
A voice cuts through the classroom, "Alright everyone, get to your seats."
Li Wenhao, Class 2-2's homeroom teacher, entered the room holding a thick binder under one arm. As he reached the podium, the last few students scrambled back to their desks. The noise level dropped immediately, save for a few muffled whispers and the squeak of chairs.
"Good morning, class," Old Li said dryly, flipping open his binder. "Or at least it would be, if some of you remembered that school starts before noon." His eyes flicked pointedly toward the back of the class where He Fei had just snuck in from the backdoor and was sneaking over to his seat, hair messy, shirt untucked as usual.
"Still made it for homeroom," He Fei said, flashing a peace sign.
Adjusting his glasses, Old Li's eyes move back to the binder. "Shall I alert the press, or will my disappointment suffice tomorrow again?"
"Ah, this is why I love you, laoshi—you even have jokes before breakfast!" He Fei grinned.
A ripple of snickers spread through the room. Old Li simply gave him a long-suffering look before flicking his fingers towards He Fei's desk. " Just sit down."
"Yes, sir," He Fei said cheerfully, practically skipping to his seat before leaning over to immediately start chatting with his deskmate—Luo Yan, who looked only half awake and fully unprepared to deal with He Fei's morning energy.
"He must be in a good mood," Shen Yun whispered, watching He Fei with a squint. "He's actually… early. The end times are near."
Ah Chong hummed, but the sound came out strained. There was a subtle sinking feeling in his stomach. Something about the way He Fei was overly chipper this morning made him nervous.
_______________________
Lunch finally came—to Ah Chong, those few hours felt like years. He drifted through the morning like a ghost, unable to focus on anything their teachers said. Be it Math, History, English—all he heard were words, but none of them entered his brain. His pen did absolutely nothing except draw unexplainable scribbles in the margin.
He even caught himself absentmindedly scribbling the characters of Jia Wei's name in the corner of his notebook. The second he realised what he was doing, he rubbed it out so fast the paper nearly tore—no way was he letting Shen Yun spot that. The guy always had a habit of peeking over like it was his hobby.
When the bell finally rang, Ah Chong noticed from the corner of his eye—He Fei shooting up from his chair and practically sprinting out the door. Ah Chong blinked and a weird prickle of suspicion crawled up his spine. He Fei wasn't usually like that. Normally he'd stretch, slouch a bit, maybe wander over to them while complaining about being hungry, or he'd still be chatting lazily with Luo Yan.
"Where's that idiot rushing off to?" Shen Yun noticed too. Ah Chong simply shrugs as the two of them walked over to Luo Yan who was just about to get up from his seat.
"Oi, Yanyan, where'd that guy rush off to?" Shen Yun questioned. Luo Yan paused and simply shrugs then turns to look at Shen Yun sharply, "And don't call me that."
Shen Yun clicked his tongue. "Weird."
"He just took off," Luo Yan said, getting to his feet, voice as relaxed as ever. "Didn't even breathe a word about where he was going." He says, raising a lazy eyebrow. "Probably something dumb."
As he stepped past them, walking towards the door, he added lightly, "Anyway, you guys should join us for basketball later. The crowd's gonna be huge if Ah Chong shows up."
He shot Ah Chong a teasing smirk. "The girls would go crazy right?"
Ah Chong huffed a laugh and shook his head. "I'll pass today."
"Yeah, same here," Shen Yun added, stretching his arms behind his head. "Too lazy, not in the mood."
Luo Yan simply shrugged and stepped out of the classroom. Ah Chong and Shen Yun followed a moment later, drifting into the corridor with the rest of the lunch crowd. They hadn't even taken five steps before Ah Chong froze.
There—leaning casually against the wall near Class 2-3—was He Fei. Laughing. Grinning. Looking like he'd been there forever.
And right next to him, listening, was Jia Wei.
Ah Chong's heartbeat spiked so hard it felt like it punched his ribs. A strange mix of emotions churned inside him—part irritation, part something he couldn't quite name, a sensation that left his stomach twisting in knots—it was weird.
He Fei spots the two of them and waves excitedly, "Oi! You two!" He calls out to both of them. Jia Wei turned to the direction He Fei was waving at, his usual detached expression in place.
Ah Chong and Shen Yun walked over, and He Fei grinned, pointing a thumb at Jia Wei. "Let's go for lunch!"
"Wei-ge was telling me about this beef noodle place," He Fei added casually. Jia Wei gave a subtle nod, acknowledging the comment.
"Wei-ge?" Ah Chong echoed, his voice catching slightly, that weird feeling was coming back again.
He Fei grins mischievously, "Well he is older than us, so Wei-ge."
You call him Wei-ge? Wei-ge…? WEI-GE? Before me??
Ah Chong's thoughts were running amok but luckily Shen Yun saved him from blurting anything stupid. "Sounds good. Lead the way, Wei-ge," he said, sounding way too casual.
Ah Chong whipped his head toward him. You too?!
"Come on, Wei-ge! Let's gooo," He Fei chimed, already stepping forward. Jia Wei only nodded again and started walking, hands in his pockets.
There was something about the way He Fei said it—Wei-ge—that felt just a bit… pointed. Almost like he was deliberately poking at someone. Ah Chong's jaw ticked. He swore he could practically see himself putting that scoundrel into a headlock, taping his mouth shut, and asking him very politely if he'd dare say Jia Wei's name like that again.
He swallowed the thought before it escaped his face. Instead, he nodded stiffly, muttered something nonsensical, and followed the boys down the corridor.
-
The beef noodle place wasn't far—about a ten-minute walk from school, tucked beside a small neighbourhood park. It was the kind of shop easy to miss unless you were looking for it; the front was half-hidden behind a row of overgrown hedges and an old, sun-faded drinks stall that someone had abandoned years ago.
He Fei stopped first, pointing excitedly. "Here! Told you it exists."
Jia Wei pushed the glass door open with familiar ease, like he'd been here more than once. The warm smell of broth and spices rushed out, curling around them. If you blinked, you would've missed the small smile that formed on Jia Wei's lips right when he entered the store—but Ah Chong caught that. Is it because he's always constantly looking at Jia Wei inconspicuously? Yes.
Shen Yun stepped in after him. "Smells legit."
Ah Chong followed last, still nursing the remnants of that stupid feeling in his chest. He tried to focus on the menu board instead of how naturally Jia Wei led the way… or how He Fei kept hovering at his side like some overly enthusiastic kid.
Jia Wei slid into a booth, resting his arm against the back of the seat. "Order whatever. Their portions are big."
He Fei plopped down right beside Shen Yun as he was sliding in. "I'll have whatever Wei-ge recommends."
Ah Chong stared. Again? Seriously?
Then it hit him: because Shen Yun and He Fei took that side, the only open seat left was… right next to Jia Wei.
He Fei you—!
Ah Chong shot him a small glare. He Fei answered with the smuggest, most self-satisfied smirk known to mankind. Collecting what little dignity he had left, Ah Chong slid into the booth beside Jia Wei. The cushion hadn't even stopped shifting under him when Jia Wei turned his head, completely unfazed by the proximity, and handed him a menu, "What are you getting, Genius Ah Chong of 2-2?"
Ah Chong's brain fizzled. Completely short-circuited. For a second, all he could do was blink at the menu like it suddenly contained advanced quantum equations.
"I— uh. I…I'll get whatever Wei-ge recommends," he blurted out before his brain even got permission to speak.
Jia Wei paused. His expression didn't change much, but there was the slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth—something between amusement and surprise. "Alright then." he said simply, closing his menu with a quiet tap.
"Well, I guess I'll go with whatever Wei-ge recommends too!" Shen Yun chimed in, raising a hand like he was pledging allegiance.
Jia Wei let out a small, almost inaudible breath through his nose—something that might've been a laugh if one listened hard enough. He nodded once. He Fei leaned forward dramatically, pressing a hand to his chest. "We have utmost trust in your culinary choices, Wei-ge!"
"Don't be weird," Jia Wei replied, giving him a flat look.
Shen Yun immediately backed him up. "Yeah, He Fei, you sound like you're proposing marriage."
"I'm expressing respect," He Fei insisted, offended on principle. "Which you rude kids clearly don't understand."
Ah Chong stared at him. "You literally met him yesterday."
"And? Greatness recognizes greatness."
Jia Wei blinked slowly, like he was regretting agreeing to lunch. "Just order the tendon noodles," he said, raising a hand to call the waiter over. "All of you." He Fei shot Ah Chong a triumphant grin. Shen Yun saluted. Ah Chong wanted the ground to just open up and swallow him whole.
Jia Wei glanced at him again—noticing the redness on his ears, or maybe the way he refused to look in his direction for more than a second.
"Is tendon okay for you?" Jia Wei asked, tone surprisingly gentle.
And that alone was enough to reboot Ah Chong's entire brain system all over again.
"Uh…t-tendon? Yeah, that's fine," he stammered, voice barely above a whisper. Jia Wei gave a small, almost imperceptible shrug, then glanced down at the table. "Then it's settled. Three normal beef noodles, one extra spicy for He Fei."
"No worries, I thrive off pain." He Fei smirks.
Jia Wei rolled his eyes slightly, and when the waiter finally approached, he recited their order clearly: four bowls of beef noodles with tendons. The waiter jotted everything down quickly, repeating the order aloud, and a faint clatter could be heard from the kitchen as the cooks began prepping.
While waiting for the food the minutes dragged. The faint hum of the restaurant, the clatter of dishes from the kitchen, even the slurping sounds from the neighboring tables felt amplified to Ah Chong. He tried to read the menu to distract himself, but the words swam in front of his eyes.
Finally, the waiter returned, carrying four steaming bowls of beef noodles. The aroma hit Ah Chong all at once. His stomach growled before his brain could stop it.
Jia Wei reached for his own bowl calmly, using his chopsticks with casual precision. "Dig in," he said softly, almost like an invitation, not a command.
Ah Chong froze for a second, then mechanically lifted his chopsticks, stabbing a piece of tendon. He brought it to his mouth, but his eyes kept drifting sideways to Jia Wei. Every small movement, every tilt of his head, made his chest tighten in a way he couldn't explain.
"This is good!" Shen Yun exclaims, taking another huge slurp of his noodles. He Fei nods and makes a sound of agreement excitedly too, taking a huge slurp of his own.
He Fei swallows, "What do you think?" He asks Ah Chong.
"It's really good, thanks for the recommendation Wei-ge." Ah Chong's words came out stiffer than he intended, and immediately he wanted to crawl under the table. His ears burned.
Jia Wei gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, eyes flicking back down to his own bowl. "Glad you like it," he said simply, tone neutral, but there was a softness there that made Ah Chong's chest tighten again.
As He Fei and Shen Yun were just babbling endlessly, Ah Chong tried to focus on the noodles, taking a careful bite, but it was impossible to ignore the calm, almost effortless way Jia Wei ate beside him. The casual tilt of his head, the way he chewed quietly without a care in the world—it made Ah Chong feel like he was failing some unwritten test of composure.
_______________________
The four of them made their way back to school after they were done with their lunch. As they reached the second floor corridor and loud voice cuts through.
"Ah Chong!!!!"
Ah Chong froze mid-step, his heart instantly spiking. He recognised that voice all too well.
"What now?" Shen Yun muttered, glancing around. Shen Yun seemed to have recognised that voice already.
From the doorway of Class 2-2, a familiar loud voice echoed again, "Ah Chong!!!"
Finally the voice revealed itself—Wan Qing, the president of the photography club and chief editor of the school's newspaper. She spots Ah Chong and dashes towards the boy, "Ah Chong! It's an emergency!"
Wan Qing skidded to a stop in front of him, slightly out of breath, and planted both hands on his shoulders. "Ah Chong! The pictures for the new issue—the hard drive is missing!"
Ah Chong exhaled slowly, already sensing where this was going. "What do you mean, missing?" he asked, trying to keep his tone calm.
Wan Qing, ever the klutz, flailed her hands slightly. "I can't find it anywhere! It's not on the table, not in my bag—nothing!"
"I can't find it anywhere!" Wan Qing exclaimed, waving her hands dramatically. "I can't find it on the table—it's gone!"
Ah Chong blinked, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Qing-jie… didn't you say you passed it to the vice pres?" His voice was slow, careful, as if speaking louder might make the hard drive magically reappear.
Wan Qing froze for a moment, blinking rapidly, before a sheepish grin spread across her face. "Oh! Right… I did pass it over…" She chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. Then, glancing at everyone around her, she added, "Apologies for the scare, everyone."
Clapping her hands together, "Anyways! I have something to discuss with you. You gentlemen wouldn't mind if I took him away?"
"Oh no, no, please go ahead!" He Fei said, grinning playfully. Shen Yun nodded, shrugging, and Jia Wei remained silent, his expression unreadable.
Ah Chong groaned inwardly, the pit of his stomach twisting.
"Cool, cool, let's go," Wan Qing said, gesturing toward him. Ah Chong hesitated for a brief moment before nodding, falling into step behind her as she turned on her heel and started walking.
As the two photography club members walk away, Jia Wei's gaze lingered on Ah Chong's back for a moment longer, unreadable, before he finally turned his attention back to He Fei and Shen Yun.
"I bet he's got more work to do now," Shen Yun said, nudging He Fei lightly. "And he's going to bitch about it once he comes back."
"Never a day of rest for a genius," He Fei replied, smirking.
Jia Wei finally opens his mouth, his voice quiet but deliberate. "So… what's he like when he's working?"
Shen Yun blinked at him, caught off guard at the sudden question. "Uh… you mean Ah Chong?"
He Fei chuckled, leaning back on the wall, "Depends on the day. But if it's something he cares about, he's all in. Doesn't matter what else is happening."
Jia Wei's eyes flicked toward the corridor where Ah Chong had disappeared with Wan Qing. "Hmm," he murmured, almost to himself. "Focused… but easily flustered…"