"Where have you been?! Can you see the time, ah boy?!"
I got a 'heart-warming' greet as soon as I arrived home. The double story shop house was filled with heat, not only from the sizzling hot sichuan mala soup from the kitchen, but also from Ma who was ready with a wooden spatula in her hand.
"I'm visiting a friend at the hospital," I put away my bag at the corner of the counter, took off my green uniform and went straight into the kitchen.
"Which friend? What happened? Is he dead?"
I gave Ma a straight squint while my hand was busy looking for an apron behind the door.
"Ma, if he's dead, I might visit him at the morgue," I replied daringly to her, even though I know that I will get a handful babble. But, things will get worse if I shut my lips.
"Your friend should be dead. A good cause for this world!"
"Ma, how can you curse him?!" I had no idea why I got mad by that, knowing the person that Ma cursed is Yi Chen.
"Your friends are nothing but a group of scum! Look what they did to you! Skipping classes, hanging out like a bunch of bandits outside the school! A bully! And, if you think I am so happy to know that my son has befriended some tugs, then, you're wrong!"
I slam the kitchen counter, a thud sound comes from my large palm. The sound was not that loud, but my reaction speak everything.
"Could you please stop stammering me while I'm in the kitchen, Ma?"
"Are you talking back to me, Minghao?!"
I sigh. Seriously, I had a lot to think about, not to mention how bad I felt since I left the hospital. I could't handle the drama anymore. So, I took off the apron, grabbed my jacket and bag from the counter, when Ma was still babbling in the background.
"I'm talking to you, young man! How could you talk back to me!? I am your mother, I have all my rights to remind you about your future! You refuse to take over the restaurant, and now you want to become what, a criminal?! What should I do, waiting for your dead body in a bag?!"
"Maybe you should do that, Ma. Prepare my funeral from now. Who knows, maybe I am dead tomorrow!"
"Minghao!"
I storm away from the house, not looking back anymore. Walking away through the dark alley in the middle of the night, all by myself. As I stroll my way, I saw a bright lights coming from a kitchen of one of the shop.
It was the sweet pork bun shop.
"How can you be so careless? You do know we have a lot of orders! Now, your wrist is injured. Who's gonna fill them?"
I hid myself behind a large dustbin.
"I'm sorry, Pa. I will try my best..."
"That's all you can say. Try your best, I'm sorry! You're a boy, yet too fragile to be a boy! Man up a bit! Look at your brother! Strong! Athletic! Tsk!"
From my spot, I could see Yi Chen's face. He was on verge of crying, but he had to hold up his tears. Those words from his Pa, it truly hurts.
"Aiya, no need to scold the boy anymore! We have so much to do! If he can't make it, we can ask Yi Wen to help!"
"Yi Wen in the kitchen? No! He has a basketball game tomorrow! I couldn't risk him injured his wrist! We already got one wounded soldier!"
Double standard! Supposedly, Yi Wen can help Yi Chen. He's strong and fast. Making steam bun for him is nothing!
"But Pa..."
"No but! This is his punishment. By hook, or crook, he has to finish the order by tomorrow morning. You don't babying him this time. Let him do it all by himself!"
I heard footsteps leaving the kitchen soon after that. From my spot, I peek at Yi Chen. He sat in silent on a wooden stool, folding sweet pork bun all by himself in tears.
"You're not planning to poison people with your tears, right?"
He turned around, looking at me in shock.
"The fuck—what are you doing here? Are you had enough with your life? You want to be skinned alive by Pa?!" Yi Chen dragged me out of the kitchen in panic.
"You forgot to clean your hands and yet you touch me—"
"Shhh! Enough with your complain! I'm asking you, what are you doing here? Why are you wandering behind our shop? You want to steal our recipes?"
"Dummy!" I flick my fingers on Yi Chen's forehead, making him winced in pain. I quickly apologized before rubbing his forehead with my hand. But, he slapped it away.
"Stop touching me!"
"Yah, I'm just concern about you..."
Yi Chen shut himself. He stared at me with his boba eyes. "No need to. I am fine. A man should be strong!"
"Strong my ass! I saw you almost crying just now..."
Yi Chen slapped my shoulder hard. "Butt off!"
His expression amused me. Pouty lips with fluffy cheek, Yi Chen had no idea how that affected me so much!
"How many orders do you have to finish?"
"What?" Yi Chen frowns. I point my finger at the bamboo steam tray behind him. He turned his gaze at me, looking a bit hesitant before he gave his answer.
"Got 100 pieces left..."
"Jeez, are these for people or monsters?"
"Shut up, you crazy! These are orders from a wedding! Of course it needs to be plenty!"
I grin widely when Yi Chen went berserk. This is what I want from him; cute and childish. I missed this a lot. High school really changed him, and I hate it so much!
"Let me help..." I swept him away and stepped into the kitchen.
"Are you mad!? Pa might see us! And... do you know how to fold buns, huh? This is not mala fish soup okay!"
"Tsk! You're underestimate me, kiddo! My grandma doesn't call me A Golden Hand for no reason okay!" I flash my confident smile, pinching the dough in the larger plastic basin, ready to fold all night.
I will always ready to impress Yi Chen, even for my whole life!
***
Present Day
Ever since the incident, our relationship turns better. But, still, we can't stand each other. It's not like we became lovey dovey in overnight, but at least, we prefer to shut our lips when we saw each other, instead of grilled each other's ass.
Then, the university entrance exam came. We work hard for our dream. I heard that Yi Chen chose to further his study in business management. But, I prefer technical course like engineering. The fear of losing him started to haunt me. If he ended up enroll in some business school, it's the end of me!
My worst nightmare came true after the result came out. But, instead of me fearing that Yi Chen might end up in a business school, I was the one who ended up in technical college. I was too shock to even react. How could this overturn happened?
While packing my bag to college, I peek through the window of my bedroom. When I saw Yi Chen left his house with his suitcase, my soul flew out of my body. I lost him, for good. That's what I thought.
Spending my time far away from home and Yi Chen, I learnt a lot about life. Improving myself and becoming a better person. But still, my life was lonely. There were lots of girls approaching me, but my heart refused them. I was still dreaming to have Yi Chen by my side.
Stalking his social media was bitter for me. He kept updating his love life with his then girlfriend, Michelle. She's a sweet girl, beautiful and to be honest, an Insta girl. I couldn't comprehended the idea of Yi Chen having her as a girlfriend. My jealousy peeked, so I told myself; enough is enough.
Yi Chen belongs to me, and that's it!
I put up a plan. There's no way I will let go of Yi Chen. So, when the college asked the student to choose a major, I purposely choose something that was not available in my college. I did my research about Yi Chen's college, and that very major is available. So, I told my father that I want to switch college, using this fact as an excuse. Luckily, he allowed me, even though he was reluctant at first.
That's how I ended up in here. And my luck really played a part when I became his roommate by an accident. During the registration day, the administration mistakenly put a girl as his roommate, because the girl's name sounded like a boy name. So, when they ask who's gonna volunteer to fill the space, I immediately offered myself.
See, even the destiny favored us!
Now, we're roommates for almost two semester, and I like every part of it. Except the fact that he always went out to meet his snobbish girlfriend. Luckily, the relationship didn't last long. After a few tricks, Michelle finally took off, choosing another rich guy as her new boyfriend; who turned out to be my friend.
That girl... let me tell you something. If it wasn't because of Yi Chen's intelligence, she will never fall for him! She just used him for her own benefits; for example, assignments. Yi Chen did all of her assignments, and boosting her grade every semester.
In the end, money wins.
I thought, after his relationship failed, Yi Chen will stop chasing. The door is open for me to approach him. However, since then, he keeps searching for a new love. I can't even stand watching him going out with those girls!
But, as an engineering student, I always trying to find a flae in everything. From what I learned, Yi Chen has one specific pattern in a relationship; he will confess exactly on the 100th days after knowing the girl. He never confess from the beginning. He's a man who indulges a vibe of relationship, so he choose to lurk around and when the vibe is great, he will arrange an event on the 100th day.
So, me being a nasty who is crazy in love with him, will always ensure, before the relationship reaches the 100th day, I will slip between them, and starts flirting with those girls, so they will change their mind. And exactly on the confession day, they rejected Yi Chen. And, I got the chance to get close to him once again!
But now, it's the last semester before we become the senior. And yet, he still not belong to me! I can't think about any strategy anymore. Yi Chen keeps being Yi Chen, and me? I'm still chasing his shadow in the dark.
That's why, from now on, I will openly pursue Yi Chen! Until he is mine!
Just you wait, Steam Bun!