Lunch break was almost over.
The faint winter sun slipped behind a cloud, and long shadows stretched quietly across the empty courtyard.
Wei still sat beneath the tree, his half-finished bowl resting beside him. The kitten had curled into his lap like it belonged there, purring softly, as if he were its chosen warmth.
He carefully tried to move it aside, fingers brushing its tiny paw.
"…Hey," he whispered gently.
"I have to go now."
The kitten blinked up at him, almost offended. Instead of moving, it climbed higher into his lap.
Wei let out a soft sigh — a quiet sound filled with helpless affection.
"Don't be like that…" he murmured.
"Lunch is over."
The kitten answered with a stubborn, loud meow.
A small laugh escaped him — soft, warm, almost fragile. The kind that didn't fully reach the air, but stayed close to his chest.
"I'll come tomorrow," Wei promised, voice gentle like he was speaking to something that truly understood.
"I'll bring something tastier, okay? But right now— I have class."
The kitten meowed again, pressing its tiny head against his wrist — right over the bandage.
Wei flinched slightly at the contact, a faint wince passing across his face.
But he didn't pull away.
Instead, he smiled — quiet, soft, and patient — as if the small pain didn't matter at all.
Behind a pillar, half-hidden in shadow, Jian stood completely still.
He hadn't meant to stay.
Not really.
At first, he had only stopped to check on Wei — just to make sure he was okay. That was all. At least… that's what he kept telling himself.
But somehow, his feet refused to move.
Now, watching Wei gently struggle with a stubborn little kitten, something unfamiliar settled in his chest — warm, aching, and quietly confusing.
Wei looked softer like this. Unaware. Unprotected. Real.
Jian's gaze didn't shift.
Couldn't.
The world around him had blurred into nothing, leaving only that small scene beneath the tree.
Then Wei's voice drifted over again, light and careless, like winter sunlight brushing against skin.
"…I have to go now, okay? If I'm late, that annoying gege will scold me."
Jian froze.
Gege?
Annoying?
The words echoed in his head, sharp and unexpected.
For a second, something tightened inside him — not anger exactly, not hurt either… but something close. Something he couldn't name.
His fingers curled slightly at his side.
…Who?
Wei gently nudged the kitten, trying to ease it off his lap.
"He stares too much already… if I walk in late, he might stare holes through me."
Jian's heart nearly leapt out of his chest.
"…Wait. Is he talking about me?"
Wei crouched, carefully placing the kitten back on the ground. His movements were slow, almost reluctant.
His voice softened, quieter now — like something meant only for the small creature in front of him.
"You don't want me to get scolded by that ghost boy, right?"
Jian nearly choked.
"…Ghost boy?? Me??"
He stood frozen, caught between disbelief and something dangerously close to embarrassment.
Wei continued, leaning closer to the kitten as if sharing a secret.
"He looks scary… but I think he's not that bad."
Jian's breath hitched.
A strange heat crept up to his ears, unexpected and sudden.
Then, almost like an afterthought, Wei murmured softly—
"…He tied my bandage so softly."
Jian's heart stopped.
Completely.
For a moment, everything inside him went silent.
No breath.
No movement.
No thoughts.
It felt as if his entire soul had slipped out of his body.
And all that remained… was that one quiet sentence echoing inside him.
One thought echoed inside Jian's mind, over and over.
"He… noticed?"
"He remembered?"
"He… thinks about it?"
He couldn't process it. Couldn't hold it properly.
Wei slowly stood up, brushing the dust from his uniform. As he lifted his head, a soft ray of sunlight caught in his hair.
It glowed.
Two loose strands swayed gently in the cold breeze. The faint cut on his forehead shimmered under the light, and the bandage beneath his sleeve peeked through for just a second.
He looked—
too beautiful.
too fragile.
too unreal.
Jian's chest tightened.
His lips parted before his thoughts could catch up.
"…smile more…"
The words slipped out in a whisper, so quiet he didn't even realize he had spoken.
His throat moved as he swallowed, as if trying to take the moment back.
But it was too late.
Something deeper — something unguarded — pushed forward.
And before he could stop himself, his voice broke through the silence, louder than he ever intended—
"…Ghost Boy …"
He froze.
Wei paused.
The kitten let out a small, confused meow, as if sensing the sudden shift in the air.
Jian's face burned instantly — bright red, like a chili thrown straight into fire.
He swallowed, panic climbing up his throat.
"Or—"
His voice cracked.
He cleared it quickly, trying again, but it only made things worse.
"—or should I call you… Wei?"
The moment the name slipped out—
Wei turned.
Sharp. Alert. Surprised.
His eyes scanned the courtyard — the empty benches, the quiet trees, the long shadows stretching across the ground.
Searching.
Jian's brain completely short-circuited.
And like every completely doomed teenage boy in existence, he made the worst possible decision.
He ducked behind the pillar, crouching like that would somehow erase what just happened.
Then, under his breath — not nearly as quiet as he thought —
"Fuuuuuuck— Jian-ge why are you so STUPID—"
He slapped his forehead.
Hard.
"I wasn't supposed to SAY that—"
Both hands flew up to cover his face, as if hiding could undo time.
"Why am I whispering so loud—!!"
He squeezed his eyes shut, internally collapsing.
After a second, he risked a glance from behind the pillar.
Wei was still there.
Still looking.
His brows slightly drawn together, eyes narrowed just a little in confusion. His head tilted — like he had heard something…
but wasn't sure what.
Then—
Wei took a step forward.
Toward the pillar.
And Jian's heart nearly gave up on him completely.
Jian dropped back into hiding, crouching even lower, like a guilty cat caught doing something unforgivable.
His whole body tensed, shoulders hunched, as if he could disappear into the shadow itself.
"No no no no no— don't come here—"
"please don't—"
"I will die—"
"I will literally evaporate—"
He squeezed his eyes shut, as if not seeing would somehow make it all vanish.
His heart slammed violently against his ribs, each beat louder than the last.
Too loud.
Way too loud.
He held his breath.
Footsteps…
Soft, slow… getting closer.
Footsteps…
His fingers curled tightly against the ground.
Then—
Silence.
Jian's pulse roared in his ears.
Did he leave?
Did he see him?
Did he hear him say his name…?
Carefully, slowly, like he was risking his entire existence, Jian peeked from behind the pillar.
Wei had turned away.
Relief crashed into him so suddenly it almost hurt.
Wei bent down, picking up his lunch things with calm, unhurried movements.
For a moment, everything seemed normal again.
But then—
Wei paused.
He looked back one more time.
His brows were slightly pressed together, like he was trying to catch a memory just out of reach… like a sound he almost heard but couldn't fully place.
Jian froze again.
Did he know?
Did he feel it?
But Wei only stood there for a second longer before turning away completely.
Then he walked toward the building.
Quiet.
Graceful.
Unaware.
Completely oblivious to the idiot crouched behind a pillar—holding his breath, memorizing every second like it meant everything.
When Wei finally disappeared into the building, Jian let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
Long.
Shaky.
Unsteady.
Like he had survived something far more dangerous than it actually was.
He leaned his head back against the pillar, the cold surface grounding him just a little. His eyes slipped shut, but it didn't help.
Nothing helped.
His voice came out low, almost broken—
"…I'm done."
It cracked midway.
He let out a hollow breath, dragging a hand down his face.
"I am… absolutely, fully, completely done."
His body gave in as he slowly slid down the pillar until he was sitting on the cold ground.
Still.
Drained.
His fingers trembled faintly, like his body hadn't caught up with the moment yet.
But his mind—
his mind refused to stop.
Wei's voice replayed again and again, clear, soft, dangerously gentle.
"He looks scary… but I think he's not that bad."
A pause.
Then—
"He tied my bandage so softly."
Jian pressed his palm hard against his face, like he was trying to block it out.
But it only echoed louder.
Deeper.
"Fuck…"
This time, the word didn't carry awe.
It carried panic.
Real, undeniable panic.
His chest tightened as his thoughts spiraled into something he couldn't understand.
"What is happening to me…?"
No answer came.
Only the relentless, chaotic pounding of his heart.
And somewhere inside it—
the quiet, dangerous echo of a name he had spoken far too loudly.