Next morning, I felt a few pokes at my jaw and I swatted the hand away.

 

"Stop poking me." I grunted.

 

"You're jaw is swollen. Did you get punched my Hun?"  

 

I whipped my head around to see Kai with a sun hat and ready to go out.

 

"You're going to be late for school you know. Sehun came in earlier in a rush and he already left." He told me, "And he told me that he didn't want to see you today."

 

"It's not like I wanted to see him either." I scoffed as I slowly got out of bed.

 

"You..." I turned to him and he gulped before speaking again, "why don't you want to talk to TianMi?"

 

"I don't know." I groaned.

 

"You know you and Hun are both being stupid. The girl's innocent!"

 

"That girl? Innocent? She's the school's sl—" I stopped talking. I felt like I was telling a white lie.

 

"The school's what?" Kai asked, curious.

 

"Never mind." I shook my head, "What are you doing today?" I asked, changing the subject and slowly picking out my uniform.

 

"Hmm. Hadn't thought about it. What do you suggest long time citizen of Qingdao?"

 

"Food?" There was really nothing to do in Qingdao other than walking at the beaches. I pulled my school's t-shirt over my head and put on the pants over my boxers.

 

"Is there good chicken here?" He asked.

 

"Yeah. There's one just around the cor—" before I could finish, he was already out of the room, "What an impatient boy..." I muttered. I quickly prepared myself and rushed to school.

 

***

 

"Sunday my house with Sehun, Tao." Chen pointed in my face as he carefully put his books in his bag.

 

"Why do I have to?" I whined.

 

"Because you were very late today."

 

"But why do I have to drag Sehun with me?" I frowned.

 

"Because Sehun's being an incompetent  student and failing his semester!" He exploded in his native language. "And I didn't say to drag him..." He softly switched language after realizing he shouted at me.

 

"Please don't hit me!" He squeaked. I sighed.

 

"I'll be there Sunday, but I don't promise Sehun coming with me."

 

"Why not?"

 

"We fought yesterday." I sighed, massaging my jaw that was still swollen.

 

"Ah so that explains the swollen jaw. Is Sehun that strong to have— I'll get going." He said after seeing the glare I have him.

 

"When am I going to get my 300 yuan back?" I asked and he just waved me off saying that he wasn't the one responsible for my money before leaving. That meant that I wasn't going to get my money back.

 

Groaning, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and headed to the noodle restaurant to earn some money. The manager did say he liked me and he would accept me back when I wanted to work again. I took a different hallway to avoid a certain Korean boy, but I still ended up seeing him at the gates looking for someone. When he saw me, we just exchange glares before I left.

 

When I arrived at the restaurant, I saw TianMi through the window. I sighed as I entered the place. What did she wanted more?

 

"Tao! Don't you dare run away!" TianMi shouted, ignoring all the stares from everyone and latched herself on my arm.

 

"What do you want?" I groaned as I let her pull me to a table.

 

"I want to talk about... You know... Yesterday..." She quietly said, still tightly gripping onto my right arm.

 

"I won't run away. Just let go of my arm before it falls off." I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose with my free hand. I felt the guilt from yesterday on my way home return to me.

 

"You... Why did you yell? It's not my fault I'm more afraid of FangXue..." She mumbled clear enough for me to understand.

 

"Why are you more afraid of her than me? She's just a girl and I'm a guy. I could harm you! " I loudly whispered.

 

"But you didn't and I know you won't."

 

"What makes you so sure?" I growled and abruptly pulled her arm towards me to scare her. She flinched at the sudden movement, but quickly recovered.

 

"Because when I was known as the school's to you, you hated me and didn't wanted to do anything with me. If you hated the school's that much, would you plan on being a guy that harmed girls? Would you take advantage of girls to relieve your frustration? And FangXue, she used to be my best friend. My only true friend that turned out wasn't really my true friend. She was capable of ruining her best friend's life. What do you think she would be able to do to someone that everyone hates after backstabbing her supposedly best friend who was adored by everybody?" She confidently explained and she surprised me.

 

"So, why did you yell at me then?" She asked again, more firmly this time and it made me feel defeated.

 

"Excuse me, what would you like to order?" Returning to my senses, I remembered what I was here for. I looked up at the waiter and asked if the manager was in.

 

"Please wait a while, I'll go get him for you." He said and left.

 

Returning my gaze to the girl, she looked at me, expecting for an answer, but I wasn't even able to formulate anything in my head with all of what she told me running messily in my mind. I dropped my hand from the tight grip on her arm and bit my lower lip. I didn't even know why I yelled.

 

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." I apologized, feeling that it was correct thing to do at that moment.

 

"No, I don't need an apology. I just want to know why." She shook her head.

 

"I don't have an answer for that!" I raised my voice, frustrated I couldn't find the reason why I yelled at her. I grabbed my head with both hands and rested my elbows on the table, racking my brain for the reason.

 

"Tao." TianMi called me.

 

"Let me think." I said harshly, but it came out like a whimper.

 

"Tao, the manager is here." She repeated. I looked up to see the man cocking an eyebrow at me.

 

"Tao, come see me in the changing room." He walked off and quickly followed him. But before I could get far enough, TianMi stopped me by grabbing my hand. I only slid her hand off and left.

 

Once in the changing room, the manager turned to me.

 

"You, why do you look like you're going to cry?" He asked.

 

"What? Me? Crying?" I gawked.

 

"Then what's that I see in your eyes? Is it because of your girlfriend?"

 

"What? What girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend." I huffed.

 

"Then who's that girl over there? I saw you eating with her a few times and she asked me if I saw you earlier. And she's not your girlfriend? Then you like her don't you?"

 

"I—" I started but the words I wanted to say got stuck in my throat, "GEGE! Why are you paying attention to my love life?!" I raised my voice.

 

"Pfft. You little rascal. You do like her!" He exclaimed with a smile.

 

"Stop it Gege!" I complained, blood rushing to my face.

 

"Tsk tsk tsk. You're not even denying it and you're blushing. You've fallen hard young one. Hurry and put on the uniform and apron. We have a lot of customers." He said as he threw an apron at me.

 

"How did you know I wanted to work again?" I questioned him.

 

"You think I don't know you?" He smirked before leaving.

 

"It's not like you know who I like or don't like." I muttered as I put the apron over my head.

 

When I got outside, I immediately looked out for TianMi. Seeing that she wasn't there, I was a little disappointed.

 

"Disappointed that your girlfriend left?" The manager chuckled.

 

"She's not my girlfriend!" I whined.

 

"You're still disappointed." He sang. I couldn't believe he was an adult. I guess being a twenty-nine year old single man doesn't have many differences from a teenager.

 

However, he did got me thinking. Do I like her?

 

***

 

When I got home, Kai and Sehun weren't there yet, so I was left alone with my mum. As much as I hate it, the thought of me liking TianMi still bothered me, so I consulted my mum.

 

"Mum, how did you and dad started dating?" I cautiously asked.

 

"What?" She was stunned at my sudden question.

 

"I said—"

 

"I know what you said. Why do you ask? Has my son fallen in love?" She smirked.

 

"What fall in love! I didn't mention love anywhere." I frowned at her.

 

"Look, you've never been interested in love stories before. Why would you suddenly be interested now?"

 

"Because... Because I got an assignment at school to write a love story!" I blurted, hoping she would leave the topic of me in love alone.

 

"So what do you want? You want me to describe how falling in love is like?" She asked.

 

"That would be very helpful." I muttered, shyly looking away.

 

"Ok the first thing you need to know about love is..." She trailed off and I put my full attention on her words. "That you won't ever understand what love is..."

 

"What the heck is that? Just tell me the actual definition already!" I complained.

 

"Then why didn't you look in the dictionary instead of asking me?" She cocked her head to the side.

 

"Ok, ok fine. Please continue."

 

"The feeling of love is a mixture of happiness, sadness and obsession."

 

I opened my mouth to say something, but shut it again when I saw my mum glaring.

 

"It's happy, because when you're around the person you like, you're happy. It's sad, because when the person you like is around somebody that you think has potential to steal him or her. Finally, it's obsessive, because you're constantly thinking about that person you like and always wanting to keep him or her safe."

 

"All that fits my relationship with Sehun, but I don't even want to think about getting married to him." I rubbed the goosebumps away.

 

"There's different love, son. Now why don't you tell me who you've fallen for? Hmm?" She wriggled her brows.

 

"No one." I looked away, flustered, "I told you it was for my assignment!" I whined.

 

"There's also some people that denies they are in love when they actually are." I mum added.

 

"What do they do then?" I asked curious.

 

"They usually keep finding excuses to be with that person or for some decisions they make for the sake of that person."

 

"That doesn't make any sense mum. I'm going to go work now." I said, rolling my eyes, before rushing upstairs to my room.

 

"You're in denial!" My mum hollered as I closed my room's door.

 

I sat on my bed, thinking.

 

"Me? In denial? Never."

 

"What should I tell TianMi then? Why did I yell at her?" I said out loud, taking my phone and searching for her contact.

 

...They usually keep finding excuses...

 

I don't find excuses. I use my logic to understand things. I frowned and clicked on TianMi's contact when I found it.

 

...You're not even denying it... I heard my manager's voice in my head. I shook my head and tapped on the call button.

 

While waiting for the call to connect, I remembered my mum saying there were different kind of love. When she answered the phone, I spoke first,

"Meet me at the park. I'll tell you why I yelled at you." I hung up right after and got up to get dressed properly. I wasn't sure what exactly was the reason, but I knew it was around "I was worried".