After school, Kris walked out the building and looked around. He tried looking for Tao since he didn't know how to get home. Kris sighed and asked a boy nearby to come over.

 

"Hey....do you know where...um Huang ZiTao is?"

 

"Who?"

 

"The small weird kid with the panda toy."

 

"Oh! Him, yeah he gets off earlier than us cause he's younger. I think he's at Kung Fu or something, I heard he did that. I can't imagine that kid doing that though."

 

"What...? Ugh, where is that "

 

"Um, just go down the street, take a left near the market and keep walking until you get to an open building with paper mats on the floor. It's a Martial Arts school, but there aren't that many students. He should be there I think."

 

"Alright, thanks."

 

Kris walked down the street and followed the directions, he started to get lost and groaned. Kris looked around and kept walking until he heard yelling. He walked to the building and peeked in. He saw Tao, practicing with his sifu and Mao Mao resting in Tao's open gym bag. Kris grinned and watched them. Kris jumped when his phone started to go off, he searched through his bag frantically to try to find it. Tao stopped and looked at him and then at his sifu. He bowed and ran over to Kris.

 

"Hey! What are you doing?! You'll get me in trouble!"

 

"ZiTao! Who is that?!"

 

"Uh....ah....he's my new neighbor. His grandmother is taking care of him while he's here...I'm supposed to bring him home since he's new."

 

"Tell him to shut that off and be silent! You need to be focused!"

 

"yes sir! Kris shut up!" 

 

Tao ran back over and bowed again as Kris turned his phone on silent and leaned against the wall. Kris sat quietly and watched as Tao practiced, he was amazed at how violent this martial art was. He was also amazed at how good Tao was at this, he never imagined the cute little boy to be doing this. Tao was also very flexible, whenever Tao slid into a split Kris cringed at the thought of him trying to copy him. He'd just let Tao be the flexible one. Kris began to get bored after a while when Tao was just doing meditation, he took out his phone and played with it.

 

Tao finished training and got up, grabbing his bag. He looked at Kris and kicked his knee softly. Kris looked up and stood. Tao started walking toward his house, Kris walked beside him. Tao looked up at Kris and hesitantly took his hand. Kris looked down at his and raised an eyebrow.

 

"Um....why?"

 

"It makes me feel safer....."

 

"Safer....? You could probably kick a grown man's and you think holding my hand is safer?

 

Tao looked up at Kris and nodded, squeezing his hand shyly.

 

"Well...okay whatever." 

 

Tao kept walking and pulled Kris along to his house. Kris looked around, somewhat amazed that Tao's home looked a little more normal than his grandmother's did, he let go of Tao's hand and wandered around the house.

 

"Hey...your place is pretty nice. Why isn't my grandmother's like this?" 

 

"She didn't want to make it like this. My family updated our house before I began school so it has modern stuff now. Like new fixtures, better kitchen, better bathroom...."

 

"Like....a real toilet?"

 

"Um...I guess. It's not like the ones in school where there's just a hole, but its sorta similar."

 

"What?"

 

"I'll show you, Mr. Canada."

 

Tao grabbed Kris' wrist and tugged him to the bathroom, he opened the door and pointed to a nicer but still squatting toilet. Kris whined and stomped his foot.

 

"Those aren't toilets! I don't even know how to use one of those! Aren't there real ones here?!"

 

Tao looked up at Kris, he was confused. Tao laughed at Kris' hissy fit and looked at the toilet.

 

"That's all. There aren't any other kind here, they're squatting toilets. Apparently it's better for your health. I don't know, my mom told me that."

 

"How do you even?--"

 

"You squat. Hence the word squatting."

 

"Don't need to be a smartass..."

 

Tao laughed and tugged Kris to his room, he sat down on his bed and looked at Kris with a smile. Kris sat down and looked around the room. This room did not look like it belonged to the cute Tao, it looked like it belonged to Bruce Lee or Ip Man or something. It looked so threatening. There were pictures of stances, and writings of moves on the wall, there were weapons and wraps and everything a martial artist could possibly own. Kris was surprised when he was suddenly hugged by Tao, Kris looked behind him to see Tao hugging his waist, his cheek pressed into Kris' side, a wide grin on his face. Kris pushed him away slightly.

 

"Why....are you hugging me?"

 

"Thanks for being my friend. Older kids don't like me, and you're really cool."

 

Kris smiled down at Tao and pat his head. He sighed and leaned back against the wall. 

 

"Well...thanks for being cute."

 

Tao giggled and hugged Kris tighter, burying his face into Kris' side. He looked up with big eyes, he looked even cuter with the dark circles. Kris picked up Tao's panda and held it up.

 

"Who's this?"

 

"Mao Mao. He's my buddy. Carrying him makes me....at peace."

 

"Uh-huh...well, you're my Mao Mao. My panda. Okay? I'll protect you like you protect him."

 

"Really?"

 

"Really."