Chapter 1

The cold wind bites at his skin, causing a shiver to run down his spine. Giving a small sigh, Yixing pushes his hands deeper into his pockets, seeking warmth, as his steps quicken towards the school. It’s nearing the end of the winter season and but the weather seems to be endlessly merciless, cold chilly wind blowing and freezing people’s legs off. Yixing is thankful that the winter season is coming to an end, and he can’t wait for spring to come. He loves spring. Spring reminds him of a tall blonde and a small boy, laughing and playing in the park. There is a pang in his heart, as their images float into his mind, and for a moment he feels a tinge of regret. No, stop it, stop it Yixing. You chose to leave them. No regrets remember? Everything you do, you do for them. Now pull yourself together and stop thinking of them.

“Hey Xing!” a chirpy voice greets him cheerfully, the moment he steps into the office and plonks himself on the chair. “Hey Luhan,” Yixing replies, not bothering to look up to know who the voice belongs to. A dark- haired male pops his head over the partitioning between their desks and holds out a cup of steaming coffee which Yixing gratefully accepts. He takes a sip, enjoying the soothing effect the warm liquid has, as it trickles down his throat. “Thanks Luhan,” he says with a smile, his hands cupped around the mug, warming them after having been subjected to the harsh wind.

“Anyway, you’ve a new kid in your class,” Luhan continues, as he leans against the partitioning with a smile. “Oh really, how come I didn’t know about this?” Yixing asks, a questioning look in his eyes, as he continues sipping his coffee. His brown hair falls into his eyes as he looks up, and Luhan resists the urge to simply reach out and brush them away. “He just transferred here yesterday evening after you had left, the father completed the transfer yesterday,” Luhan shrugs as he moves away to reach for the orange folder on his desk. “The father was hot though,” he adds as he flips through the contents of the folder. Yixing raises a skeptical eyebrow at him. “I mean, just saying, you know,” Luhan waves his hands around airily at the look the other sends him. Yixing merely chuckles and shakes his head as he returns to his coffee.

“This kid has an interesting background,” the older comments. “… the son of two fathers…. But now he has one father though, they split up I think? The father didn’t reveal much anyway.” Yixing hums, not really registering what Luhan has to say, his thoughts faraway. He remembers a time where a little boy sulked about how his fathers didn’t love him anymore, which was why they sent him to school. The memory is still fresh in his mind and he smiles to himself as if all these just happened yesterday and nothing’s changed.

“… Yixing?? You okay?”

Yixing blinks out of his reverie and looks up to see a concerned frown on Luhan’s face. “Nah, just spacing out,” Yixing smiles easily, patting him on the arm.

“It’s not your ill-”

“No, it’s not.” Yixing cuts in hurriedly. “Just… normal spacing out. Don’t worry Lu, I’m fine.”

Luhan looks at him worriedly, as if wondering if Yixing is telling the truth or not. “Seriously! Stop worrying, you’ll age faster like that,” Yixing laughs, gently whacking him with the back of his hand. “Now, what were you saying just now?” he continues, as he takes another sip of his coffee.

A gentle twinkling of bells interrupts Luhan and he looks over the half- frosted glass of the office to see who the newcomers are.

“The new kid is here!” Luhan exclaims. He tiptoes, squinting as he tries to make out the figures beyond the frosted glass. “Hmm, that’s not the father though… must be the father’s new boyfriend hmm…” Yixing shakes his head at his colleague’s mumblings and attempts to pluck the orange folder out of Luhan’s hands. “Boy, the kid looks like his dog just died or something… does he really hate coming to school that much?” Luhan mutters again much to Yixing’s amusement. “He probably hates coming to a new school,” Yixing chuckles. “Kids are always like that”

Luhan turns to Yixing suddenly, as if remembering that he is beside him. “You, go” he orders, jabbing his finger in the direction of the new student. “I’m still not done with my- yah!” Yixing complains as Luhan drags him up, removing the warm mug of coffee from his hands.

“Go charm your way into the new kid’s good books Teacher Zhang, make him fall in love with you, like all the other kids in the class,”

Yixing rolls his eyes.

“You talk too much sometimes”

“Wonder where I learnt it from though,” Luhan steals a grin. He dodges and pushes Yixing towards the door as the younger aims a punch at him while declaring how, “I am disowning you as a friend!”

The two of them are barely half a step out of the office when they hear a gasp and an excited shriek.

“Papa!!!”

A small figure comes barreling towards Yixing, hugging his legs tightly and almost knocking him off his feet, if not for the fact that Luhan has a hand on his shoulder to steady him.

The blood drains out of Yixing’s face, when he sees the tall male standing in front of him, a look of absolute shock and surprise etched on his face. “Cha-chanyeol?”

No, no this cannot be. After all he had done to remove himself out of their lives, no…

His worst fears are confirmed when he looks down and sees a heartachingly familiar grin on the little boy’s face. Zitao…..

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