The all-boys prestigious school was an institution that had been present in the area for more than a century, training boys from elementary to college to cultivate them into intelligent and civilised individuals who would prioritize their duties and become respected gentlemen.
The school had all boys, no girls, present in the classroom, except for teachers who had some favoritism for some of the classmates.
One thing the young boy would describe them as is that they were brutally honest, as one case happened when a teacher called out to a student to answer a question, only to end up with the class laughing, and the teacher, disappointed, made him sit back down.
Most of the young boys attending the school have the least bit of interest in the lessons, and any of them having the interest only fail to apply the lessons in real life.
The days in the prestigious all-boys school were boring to the young boy; however, despite all of that, unique things happened in each school year.
Years go by so fast for the boy; he had school festivals and tournaments where classes compete with other classes, but to him, it was all fleeting because he did not choose for it to happen.
He still had fun despite all of those inevitable moments, but as he looked on, he never had the urge to be front.
Those events that played out were because he was dragged into it, and that is all.
Many boys indulged in sports, hangouts, work, slacking off, and misbehaving.
Every young boy in every year has one or more students to be the centre of attention, either playing around and not making any effort to behave, or behaving and being the smart one.
Since there were no girls, there were of course no childhood crushes or any incidents in which there were lecherous moments where there would be a representative young girl to be the brave one in keeping the boys in line.
The boy never felt any need to care about the business of his classmates because he was, perhaps selfish, not antisocial, but just did not understand the concept of friendship.
He never understood the meaning of connection, nor the reasons why people escape to school, because he never needed to or perhaps never understood the idea.
He was perhaps not a victim of domestic circumstances because in his home, his parents never did anything that made him rebel or feel superior to them.
Despite his dad wanting it, he was not able to be independent because he was not given a chance, or rather, he was given a chance but was given it easily without a second thought.
The whole mentality of the young boy was dependent and clueless, and because of this, he was never able to understand others except through his lens and what people told him.
He was not able to deal with anything and never once managed to make a single lasting friendship.
During his fourth year of elementary school, he went to school feeling drowsy and sad.
He does not hate school, but the idea of waking up in the early morning brings him dread.
He does not hate his life in school, but he can not deny that he hated commuting to school because of how tired he was.
He decided to go take a nap when he got to his desk in the early morning, and so he did.
He did not know how long it had been
He dreaded yet another school day of boring lessons that he had difficulty following, and to be able to avoid upsetting his parents.
He was about to close his eyes, wishing that he could have something fun happen to him.
"Hey, do you want to hang out with us?"
"What?"
"Yeah, hang out with us."
Out of nowhere, while he tried to fall asleep at his desk, a group of boys began to walk up to him, then began to invite him.
"Who even are you three?"
The young boy asked nervously what kind of person would come up and talk to someone they had no prior interaction with
"My name is Takehiko."
"Hao Xian."
"I am So-mang, nice to meet you!"
The three boys were standing before him
"Why do you want to hang out with me?"
The young boy answered, feeling skeptical and confused. Then the boy named Hao Xian answered.
"We can not find another member."
"Member?"
The young boy wondered what they meant.
So-mang: "Yes, we wanted someone else to join us; our mommies wanted us to have a classmate join."
Takehiko: "Yes, the three of us are childhood friends, and our mommy said we need to invite someone else besides the three of us."
The Young Boy: "Why did you pick me?"
Takehiko: "My parents disapproved of any friends we invited."
Hao Xian: "Yeah, they said they were a bad influence, whatever that means."
The young boy could not understand, either, of course, despite all of their young age, because without them knowing or realizing, a prestigious school that is considered one of the top and is the highest private school will inevitably get some students from richer and posh families who show off their cool gadgets."
So-mang: "So yeah, our mommy wants us to find someone."
Takehiko: "Then we saw you alone, so we picked you!"
Hao Xian: "You want to join us, new friend?"
Of course, the young boy thought he was dreaming this whole scenario, but they did not seem to be joking. He was still confused and disturbed by the idea of people coming to talk to him without warning, so he decided not to think of anything else and just accept them.
"Yeah, ummmm, sure I can hang out."
"""Yeah!"""
"You three are so loud."
The three boys exclaimed, all enthusiastic; they were loud, but regardless, the young boy was happy to be able to play and have fun with this group of boys.
The three boys who went up to him were not at all popular, but they were the kindest and friendliest to him; his parents even treated him like they were their son alongside the other guys.
He was now in a circle group, and he liked to hang out with them every day at school.
He was brought home one day to visit his friends, expecting them to be just the four of them, but a girl looking to be in middle school answered the door.
"Huh, who even are you, little guy?"
Then another girl popped up, looking to be in kindergarten.
"Are you our brother's friend?"
She was, of course, younger than him, and then another girl came to call the two of them in, and she looked to be in high school.
"So you are him, huh? You came to see him, right? Then follow me."
He was led into the house, which had many rooms, and looked so spacious.
The Eldest Sister: "Our younger brother talked about you; he said you were kind and friendly, so he said."
The Young Boy: "Yeah, but who are you?"
"I am Emiko, his older sister. Nice to meet you."
The Young Boy: "Yes, nice to meet you."
Emiko: "..."
Emiko kept on glancing at him, repeatedly confused and anticipating something.
"What?"
"Nothing, you do not seem to be interested in me."
The young boy was speechless after all, what the heck does she mean by being interested in her....do boys his age go after older women like her?
It is no lie she is attractive....except for the young boy who looked on, confused and lacking any understanding. After all, is it normal to have a crush on high school girls as an elementary boy?
"Yeah, you're not into big sister?!"
There was someone who commented who looked to be the younger sister of his friend. I mean, just what is happening.....he has heard of his friend's families not accepting any guy they brought home from school, but was this the reason why cause if it is, then what on earth happened when those other guys from school visited this place?
"No....."
The truth, after all, was that he did not understand crushes or the feelings of love for others.
Taboo words and actions such as sex, kidnapping, smoking, drinking alcohol, and making out were words he heard from others....not at school but in other places.
He was not exposed to it; discussions like these come and go, and he did not understand what was so good about sex, smoking, or drinking alcohol, since the concept of lust was absent.
Kidnapping was something his mother warned him about when he was young, as she told a story to him about instances, but he got so scared that he could not sleep, so his mother pampered and nuzzled him in her arms while his father smirked at them.
Making out was found in movies.
The drinking alcohol idea also came in movies, though he forgot when it started.
The middle school girl, his friend's older sister, seemed to watch me, confused and unattracted to them and smiled at him, then patted his head, which brought him more confusion.
"I am Riko, and this is Yuiko."
Riko introduced herself and Yuiko to him as all four of them were walking to Takehiko's room.
What is even going on here, exactly? Why are they looking at him weirdly?
The young boy could not understand at all what goes on in the minds of these girls.
Emiko: "Okay, here we are, enjoy!"
The older sister, who looked to be in high school, waved him goodbye, and the three girls disappeared into their rooms.
He watched them leave, and then he decided to enter the room of his friends, and there he saw his three friends along with a group of boys and girls, either older or younger than them, crowding over the table.
Slam!
Was the response of the young boy who felt overwhelmed by the large number of people present in the room.
He stood in front of the door, wondering whether it was a good idea to do this... He compared this to other moments when dealing with cousins.
He then felt nervous to enter again.
Takehiko: "Hey, bro, why did you slam the door?"
His friend opened the door and smiled at him in response.
So-mang: "Sorry, who are those people?"
Hao Xian: "These are my siblings, So-mang's siblings are busy, and of course, you met Takehiko's."
Was the response of Hao Xian as he explained and showed off their siblings to the young boy
"Why are they here now? I thought it was just the four of us guys?!"
Takehiko: "Hey, it was supposed to be; however, these guys decided to come in today instead of tomorrow because of personal circumstances."
So-mang: "Sorry for not telling you, dude."
Hao Xian: "But, hey, allow us to introduce you to them."
The younger siblings of Hao Xian introduced themselves and smiled at him while hiding behind Hao Xian.
The young boy looked on and decided to give it a go.
So far, he did not hate this experience....at first, in all of this, he had difficulty talking to them, but eventually he was able to open up with them, albeit in stutters and long silences.
He observed the younger kids, and in the end, he felt happy.
They all included him in their games, and they all began to have fun together compared to the kids from school.
Hao Xian's Young Brother: "He is better than those kids you invite."
Hao Xian: "Yeah, you all mention that many times."
Hao Xian's Younger Brother: "He is so good to us."
Hao Xian: Younger Sister: "Big bro, could you help us with our homework?"
Everyone was really friendly and chatting with one another. He did not feel excluded as they all invited him to the conversation and he enjoyed the times he spent being friends with these three boys as well as their siblings.
Over the past few months, he had often gone over to his Takehiko's house, where he either met the Hao Xian and So-Mang, his three sisters Emiko, Riko, and Yuiko along with many family and friends of the three boys who, most of the time, were not as complete as the first time he met them all but still enough for him.
During those days, he had spent time having study sessions with them, played many games either outside or inside, and hung out with each other at many places.
Those fun-filled days were good for the young boy who seemed to suddenly have a rise in confidence.
He enjoyed the many days with Hao Xian, So-Mang, and Takehiko, and this is what brought his mother into joyful tears when the young boy told them over dinner, while his father smiled at him proudly, for all that his son had done for himself.
They were both wildly impressed with all that he has achieved, for he managed to have three best friends from his school, along with many others.
They noticed how much those boys have helped him grow as a person since he has become more lively and happy to go to school to meet up with those friends of his, and he enjoyed himself the best way he could with those same friends.
"Hey, so we are heading on a family vacation, so we won't be back until we returned next weekend."
Takehiko mentioned this in front of the three of them.
Hao Xian: "What, so where would we hang out if not with you?"
So-Mang: "It is fine, we can just hang out in any of our houses, sound good for you, Hao Xian?"
Hao Xian: "Yeah."
The young boy then suddenly felt this huge, uncomfortable feeling rise when the idea of them hanging out in his house came to mind
The moment those words left his friend's mouth, a wave of embarrassment washed over him, not out of embarrassment of his always messy room or the idea of them not having fun, but the thought of them being present in his room made him feel afraid.
He could not explain why so many what-if scenarios came to his mind.
Despite hanging out with these friends of his for over a month, he is still not emotionally ready for them to come over to his house now.
Why would he be worried about his friends coming?
These three boys were his best friends since the start of the fourth year of elementary, and yet he is still not ready to invite them over to his house.
He wondered why these feelings were affecting him so much he did not want to say anything because it would be rude and mean to not invite them over his home, so what he can do is to just convince them to hang in their homes instead of his after he will not allow them yet until he is ready.
Just as he was rummaging in his childish brain, a sudden thought came.....what if they will not be into him when they see how he lives.
That made his heart sink as he questioned himself on whether they would still accept him or if he would have fun with them the same way he did at their house.
Over the years, from childhood, he has never invited any friends over, so perhaps this is what is affecting him.
Deep down, he was so confused about himself.
He thought over what was happening to him and in the end dismissed those thoughts as.....
Hao Xian: "So you guys want to hang out in my place then."
So-Mang "Sure thing, dude, you down?"
These two guys stared at me, waiting for my answer.
The Young Boy: "Uhhh, yeah sure I guess so."
Hao Xian: "You sure you want to come, you seem a little off....."
So-Mang "You doing okay, man?"
The Young Boy: "Yeah, well, sure, I am fine hanging out with you guys in your house."
In the end, the problem in his mind never arose again.
The young boy clearly forgot about this issue; however, he has to admit that one of these days, this is clearly a problem that came from separating his home life and his student life, along with his inability to have any previous friendships where his friends would be invited over to his home.
Throughout the last few days, one of his friends had to go on a family vacation away from home.
Emiko: "So we are here to have you study for your final exams."
Riko: "So you better be ready, you guys."
Yuiko: "Yes!.....Ready.!....Study!"
The four of them were kneeling in front of the three sisters, who had dedicated their time to help the young boy, and the other three were studying since they noticed their grades had gotten lower than the last exam because of how many times they had hung out with each other.
Takehiko: "Hey, ummm nee-san, why the heck are we kneeling in front of you?"
Emiko: "Because we are your tutors and we....."
Yuiko: "Huh?"
Emiko looked at the youngest, who then looked back in confusion, tilting her head.
Emiko"...well, Riko and I are the oldest...."
Riko: "And our youngest sister is....."
Emiko: "Moral support for you slackers!"
The young boy looked on at the three of them. Is this seriously what is happening now? Is this how siblings work? Is this going to be a long day?
The young boy, along with the help of his friend's two older sisters and younger sister, has begun tutoring as well as encouraging all four of them to pass their final exams.
Hao Xian: "Dude.....Riko-nee and Emiko-nee is so strict."
So-Mang: "Yeah, and cute too i mean, look at them both, acting so mad."
Takehiko: "Hey, you jerks, do not gossip about my older sisters in front of me!"
The young boy watches his three friends mingle with each other, now talking about his two friend's half crush half admiration for the third friend's older sisters. Meanwhile, the youngest sister sat by him, giggling very smugly over her cool older sisters.
Yuiko: "Hey, Takehiko-nii-san, I give them my blessing hehehe."
Is what the youngest whispered to the young boy, and all he could do was stare at all three of them in astonishment. Does this clearly happen every time?
Yuiko: "You know it is good that there are no girls in his school."
The young boy wondered now what she was talking about."
Hao Xian and So-mang were holding their laughter while his other friend, who was her brother, sighed and blushed in embarrassment.
Yuiko: "Because he is my nii-san and all three of us wouldn't trade him for anything, right, nii-san."
She made an innocent smile while claiming ownership over him.
Both of his friends laughed.
Takehiko: "Shut up, you...guys!"
He wanted to call them idiots, but his sisters were watching him fiercely
The young boy looked on, confused. What the heck is going on?
The study session went on until they were given a break, and all four of the boys were left alone while the sisters went off on their own business.
So-mang: "Ugh!...don't they ever give us a break?"
Takehiko: "Each of them is diligent. Why do you think mom and dad tell me every day that I am unlike my two older sisters and even laugh at me that my youngest is more studious than me her eldest."
Hao Xian: "Hahahahah."
Takehiko: "Hey, stop laughing at me!"
Later now, while the break is still ongoing.....
The young boy fell asleep while the three guys decided to discuss their plans.
Emiko: "So what do you all want to be when you grow up?"
This made all three of the boys decide to think
So-Mang: "I want to be a doctor to help others."
Hao Xian: "I want to be in architecture."
Takehiko: "I do not know.....yet"
Hao Xian: "Why do you not know yet?"
Takehiko: "I just don't, okay."
So-Mang: "Yeah, sure, of course you don't."
Emiko: "You have more time anyway."
Takehiko: "Nee-san?"
Emiko: "You are still young, so give it some time."
Takehiko: "Okay!"
Emiko then turned to the young boy and asked
"What about him?"
To which all of them turned to the sleeping young boy.
Hao Xian: "Maybe after he wakes up."
Emiko" Yeah, okay then if you say so."
They all continued to discuss different things, and when the young boy woke up, they continued with their study session, forgetting to even ask about his aspirations.
A few days have gone by, and all four boys have answered their exams and are just getting the results of them.
.....
English: A+
Science: B-
Music: A
Physical Education: B
Mathematics: C
...
The three boys crowded over the young boy's report card.
Hao Xian: "We wish you good luck, dude."
So-mang: "Yeah, sorry about this, dude, but we can not save you."
Takehiko: "Ummmm, my older sister will not be happy over your C rank in Mathematics."
The young boy shuddered.
Takehiko: "I mean, it is not a bad thing..."
So-mang: "Yeah, it is still okay."
Hao Xian: "At least you did not fail compared to others, and look, you got an A+ in English, isn't that an achievement?"
The Young Boy: "Yeah..."
"So, you got a C in Math, huh?!"
Suddenly, they felt a sinister aura radiating from a group of people nearby, sending a chill down Takehiko's spine. The unmistakable voice echoed in his mind, reminding him of past encounters that had left him trembling with fear. He flinched, instinctively knowing that danger was close at hand.
That voice was a familiar feminine voice, one that used to be happy and soft, now becoming angry and disappointed.
They all turned to see the source of the voice.
Riko: "It seems you boys have slacked off more than you are supposed to, huh!"
There in the entrance were the three sisters emitting a dark aura, to which the young boy, Hao Xian, So-Mang, and Takehiko ran away from the sisters, who began to pursue them with the intent to lecture and punish them.
Many days have passed, and Takehiko, along with their family, went off on their vacation, and the young boy, along with his two remaining friends, were sitting in the playground together.
Hao Xian: "Hey, I know you are slow in academics, but I still could not believe you seem to get worse as the years go by."
Both of them commented on his current study habits.
"Where did you both hear that from?"
The young boy asked.
Takehiko: "Emiko-nee and Riko-nee may have told your mom before leaving for their trip, and in response, told them about your recent issues."
Why did Emiko and Riko tell their mom exactly? They were not his siblings, so why? Why exactly do they seem so angry at him?
"Why?"
Hao Xian: "Cause they are worried, of course."
So-mang "Yeah, come on, man."
Hao Xian and So-mang commented with concern for the young boy. They did not know all too much, but the way his mother and Takehiko's older sisters talked about it, they understood that something was going on, and then the young boy asked the obvious question.
"Did she have to be strict with me, though?"
Hao Xian: "I mean, you lied to her and slacked off lately, also, you seem to have been getting more closed off."
"What?"
So-mang: "You know, lately you seem to be becoming more and more pompous like those other guys in school."
Hao Xian: "Yeah, you seem to argue with others, dismiss other people, and begin to act so unfriendly lately as if you are conforming to them."
The young boy denied it, but those two friends of his could see something he did not know.
During the final days of the fourth year, the young boy, after having to deal with those other classmates in school, began to act like them, such as arguing back and becoming annoying.
"Unfriendly, huh? You think so? Well, sorry if I am."
However, despite not seeing it, the young boy accepted the comment and began to try to be more friendly with them.
In the end, the young boy, without realizing began to have this tendency to slack off and become lazier.
The next day, the young boy decides to stay at home, mentioning to them that he was tired of studying and declares he wants a break from studying.
He was unable, or rather chose not to hang out with those guys, after the first month of the summer break.
It has been one whole week of not seeing them, and as he spent his whole time alone at home, he began to forget some things.
Takehiko: "Hey, dude, you going to let us in or what!"
Hao Xian: "Come on, we haven't seen you all month!"
"What do you all want? How did you find my house? Why are you guys here?"
The young boy was drowsy and standing in front of his house, confronting his best friends, well, two since his other friend was not present at the moment.
"Why are you confused? I thought we all decided on going to Hao Xian's house starting last month?!"
Takehiko yelled out, then the young boy responded.
"Huh."
The young boy deep down did not know how to make excuses, and even if they did, it would make this situation even worse.
So-Mang and Hao Xian looked on at him, disappointed, and then simultaneously came to the realisation of something and then asked.
The young boy let out a response, stuttering with the same shaky voice he had during the first month.....he felt the tightness of his throat and a knot in his stomach being tied, he did not understand the feelings and did not know how to express them, so he came up with a half-truth.
Hao Xian: "Okay, fine, we forgive you, but just say so next time."
So-Mang: "Yeah, so you fine now....."
The Young Boy: "Yes...."
The young boy thought back to earlier that day when his mother came into the room with a concern.
Mom: "You keep staying at home every day and not hanging out with these boys for a while, and your friends thought that too, and their parents called me saying you do not hang out with them anymore."
The Young Boy: "Sorry"
Mom: "Is there anything wrong that is happening to you?"
The young boy, without realizing or having a sense of shame, responded with a...
The Young Boy: "Nothing is wrong, Mom....."
Deep down in his heart, the young boy lied because the look in his mom's expression was scary....it was not of rage or disappointment, but was out of worry for him.
The weight of his mother's concern pressed down on him like a heavy blanket, which made him feel like crying because of his mother's tone that matched her looks.
The young boy was weak against his mother's worries, and he could not disobey his mother because of how much he treasures her, alongside his dad, in his life.
His mother looked on at him with a sense of worry and concern, which the young boy wanted to remove, believing that if he just kept on being nice and following her no matter what, this could help her feel reassured and calm.
The young boy did not think this in his mind, but his body had this instinct to go along with what she said, no matter what.
Mom: "Listen to me, son, you've got to hang out with those friends of yours...okay.....and if you have any secrets, do not keep them from me, okay."
The Young Boy: "Okay."
The young boy answered confidently, not noticing that his words that came out of his mouth were a lie, as neither the mother nor the boy noticed or understood.
Hao Xian: "Hey, dude, why are you spacing out for?"
The young boy then snapped out of his thoughts, finding himself walking with Hao Xian and So-Mang, who seemed to be worried about him, their earlier anger replaced by concern for their friend.
"So, where are we going?"
The young boy asked, feeling bored from walking.
So-Mang: "We are heading for Hao Xian's house."
Hao Xian: "Yup, just like we planned, dude."
Is what the two of them responded, and there they walked for a few minutes towards the house of Hao Xian.
Hao Xian's house was just a short walk, so they did not need a car to get there.
Hao Xian's house for the young boy was similar to Takehiko's house, with many rooms and different furniture.
He could not understand the beauty or the art of interior design, so the only thing he would notice when visiting other people's houses was how similar rooms are and the random furniture present that seemed to always be there to complete a certain purpose, as if it was essential to have one.
The young boy wondered if the furniture was present to fulfil some aesthetic or design purpose.
Woman: "Ohhh, so this is the boy you all talk about."
There stood a woman who looked to be a mother based on her height and the motherly aura she was emitting.
She was Hao Xian's mother, who seemed to be in her mid thirties having a pony tail, with glasses.
Hao Xian's Mother: "Would you guys like to eat lunch?"
Hao Xian: "Sure thing, Mom.....come on, So-Mang, let's eat."
So-Mang "Okay, come on, dude, let's go, then we can go swimming later."
"Okay.....wait, swimming where?"
Hao Xian: "It is a surprise, now come on, I am so excited."
Mother: "Hao Xian! You need to calm down! Or else you might get a stomach ache later on."
Hao Xian: "Okay."
The young boy smiled, it was a natural one, not forced or fake....a genuine smile that was filled with happiness and excitement as if his worries and nervousness have melted away.
During the car ride going to their destinations, the young boy sat there unable to interact with the others.
He sat there with the only thing on his mind was the nagging guilt that twisted his stomach as he could hear both Hao Xian and So-Mang laughing together.
His thoughts then drifted to his mother's concern, remembering how that look in her gaze made him feel so guilty, deciding to himself to make her happy no matter what swallowing any sense of negative, confusing, and indescribable feelings that exist within him.
In the afternoon, the young boy looked on, watching his two friends splashing in the water along with the siblings of Hao Xian and his father, who was watching over them.
Hao Xian's mother sat with the young boy who looked on at the others.
"What is the matter, young man?"
Hao Xian's mother suddenly asked him since she noticed him watching and not participating in what they were doing.
The Young Boy: "What are you doing here....ma'am?"
Hao Xian's Mother: "Huh, well, just resting....Hao Xian's brothers are kind of rough, and Hao Xian and his dad can take care of them."
The Young Boy: "Yeah, they do that."
Hao Xian's Mother: "So I heard from Hao Xian, So-Mang, and Colette, your mother, that you have stayed at home the whole month for summer break.... Why didn't you go out during that time?"
The Young Boy: "I am fine, madam.....I enjoyed my time at home.....I just enjoyed it a little bit."
Hao Xian's Mother: "You can not stay at home all the time....I heard you are an only child.....so you probably do not have anyone at home other than your mother and father."
The Young Boy: "Yeah, that is correct."
Hao Xian's Mother: "What is bugging you, little guy?"
The Young Boy: "Nothing is bugging me because I just want to stay home."
Hao Xian's Mother: "Let me give you some advice, kid...you do not live on an island....you were not made to be alone but to coexist with others..."
The young boy looked at the mother of his friend and did not understand her words, but he pretended to answer with a nod; he did not know why, but his heart was telling him to do so.
Throughout his time spent with them, he enjoyed swimming, eating, drinking, singing karaoke, and dancing with them. He was walked home with the father of Hao Xian while the parents of So-Mang came to pick him up.
He thought back to what Hao Xian's mother said; however, he remembered her saying more things, but did not remember, or rather, his mind wandered elsewhere unintentionally while she talked on and on.... She was saying something important, but the young boy did not consider it important to him.
The young boy and the father of Hao Xian kept on walking in the direction of the young boy's house.
Hao Xian's Father: "Thank you for hanging out with Hao Xian, young man."
The Young Boy: "Huh?"
Hao Xian's Father: "Hao Xian, So-Mang, and Takehiko are good boys who seemed to be inseparable from each other...and we wanted them to make friends other than them, and yet the many boys they brought him are just well.....they came, but some of them are just well spoiled and rude."
The Young Boy: "That is a mean thing to say, sir....I am sure there were good boys."
Hao Xian's Father: "Young man, I will agree with you there.... not all of them are spoiled and rude, but other friends they bring home.... decent and friendly as they are seem to not become close to those boys, and I understand that those guys either change schools or want to make new friends....or perhaps they are not interested in making friends."
The Young Boy: "Sir...."
Hao Xian's Father: "The point is, thanks for being friends with them and humoring those guys, hehehe, all three of them are such great friends."
The young boy looked on at the father touched by his gratitude yet not understanding after all the term wanting to make new friends is pretty much what the young boy has been doing too and the idea came up if he would still be friends with these guys in the start of the fifth year at his school since the class would change and he would have new classmates.
The father managed to drop off the boy at his home, and when he arrived at home, he was introduced to his parents, along with a woman and a child who seemed to be discussing something with them and only stopped to stare at him when he entered.
The young boy was silent, not expecting new people to be in his house, and then his parents mentioned it.
Dad: "Son, welcome home.....wait, who dropped you off?"
The Young Boy: "Hao Xian's dad brought me here and is leaving now."
Dad: "Ohhh, good, well, allow me to introduce these people who are our new next-door neighbors."
The older woman then waved and said.
The Older Woman: "Hello, nice to meet you, young man.....hey, come on, you should say hello too."
The older woman turned to her daughter beside her, and then the young girl, who was her daughter, began to speak with a soft and nervous tone.
The Young Girl: "Hello n-nice to.....meet....you...I-I-I am uhhhhh....mmmmm"
She hid behind her mother, and the three older people laughed while the young girl and I seemed to stare at each other with a nervous expression and feeling.