note :  

1. TángXing :  as an endearment  ( I just made it up) instead of the real name FanXing / táng means: sweetie, sweet, sugar, candy / xīng means :particule, small amount ( very fitting for him lol)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, october 5

YiBo is fussing and sulking since he came back from his dance practice. 

“Hey, where is my Prada shirt?”  

4:45 pm in his Rolex. P-guy sent the message an hour ago and he has to speed up to make it in time before sunset, he said, to take some photos apparently.

“How the hell would I know?  It’s not my style anyway. Ask FanXing.”

WenHan,one of his roommates, is focused in his gameplay on his laptop, but raises his eyes with significance at the last sentence. This guy is 25, majoring in Architecture, but somehow ended in the sophomore year with YiBo, both sharing classrooms in some subjects, and the liking for dance, which they practice with other 3 students of the academy, which provides that monthly extra money fashionista YiBo needs so much.

YiBo stays there for few seconds, looking at ‘the important thing’ in the screen that WenHan said he had to do today so he couldn’t go to dance practice with him, until the other looks up again. ‘What?”

Now he can send him a brow an inch high.

“Oh please, as if you don’t know how he looks  at y-”

“No time for jealousy now.” YiBo’s words linger as he sprints to the bathroom, closing the door just in time to block the sneaker flying to his head. It hits as loud as the “You wish, er!” screech. Thankfully he made sure to bring the little bag in hand with the hammam oil he bought in his way back.

Fifteen minutes later he’s out drying his hair with a towel. Heading to his closet he notices FanXing, the other roommate, who stops his talk beside WenHan’s desk, the chair turning around.

“Did you wash everything thoroughly, honey?” 

The olders have acquired this disrespectful joke-flirting state in just one year living together, which occasionally makes YiBo thinks about the cause. 

Not paying a glance, he starts to rummage through the opened doors of his closet. “No time to show you now.”

He stops his search with his hands in his waist and a tsk!, making his way then in Fanxing’s direction. Leaning an arm on Wenhan’s chair he stands in front of the boy, closer than the comfort zone says. 

“Táng Xiiing” (1.) 

The cute boy came in fresh this September also to the Architecture department, and took the 3rd bed, vacant after last graduated roommate left. ‘Wen-ge’ took him under his wing but he seems intimidated around the tallest guy.

“Have you seen my Prada shirt ?”

WenHan acknowledges the silk in the usual deep-pranky tone rolling his eyes.

“Ahh...mm, no. Sorry, Wang-ge” The boy’s cheeks look like two painted cherries. The struggle to not look anywhere below YiBo’s eyes is painful to watch. Understandable, taking that YiBo is still a little wet and only in his undies. 

“Can’t you wear anything else? Summer is over anyway.” Wenhan dries the enticing scene out. “Or do you want to impress someone?” 

YiBo smirks delighted. “It’s only work, honey.” He whispers in his friend ear.

WenHan is not too fond of P-guy, YiBo knows. He walks back to his closet.

“It’s a top-rank party, he said. Besides, that shirt is comfortable to dance.” 

He sighs in defeat. He only has another expensive option. 

‘Well, since the night is already refreshing…’

                        ------------         ------------         -----------

21:24h

Yibo is absentmindedly scanning the food on the big buffet table. 

He does not like to have a full tummy before performing, so now he’s really hungry, even more after he went solo. The dishes look really ‘Instalike’. If only he knew what they are made of. 

He takes a little cardboard plate and place the appetizer that looks less complicated on it. 

He doesn’t see the written napkin holding a funny rolled appetizer beside his left hand, until the person is gone & lost in the crowd.

He looks around to check. Only him is near the table at the moment. ‘Me, the poor hungry kid.’ 

He grabs the funny roll thing.

‘Also bored as hell. Help me please (>=<) This roll 👇 is tasty and healthy for your diet. Please keep reading behind 👉’

Yibo looks around again, cautiously, not catching anyone ‘suspicious’. 

He sniffs with a smirk to finally munch the entire thing in one go. It’s pretty good tho, the smoked salmon slices rolled around something guacamole like, and he tastes some pineapple in it too. So he grabs another one with his left hand and the written napkin with the right one. 

‘Please kindly enter to Talkwithstranger chatroom / choose a nickname / enter on ‘Talk to Strangers’ box  / Mi nickname: ‘SXG’. Keep clicking on ‘talk to another’ until you see my nick connected to you, please.'

He was planning to call it a night after filling up his stomach -not seeing hopes for anything else- but maybe he could have some fun in this party after all. 

After a round of salties and sweets he makes his way, glass of champagne in hand,  to find a spot at a corner where he still will be able to scan the room in case the ‘mystery person’ shows face.

He opens the site and follows the instructions. It’s a one-to-one random chat. Guess he needs a nick that make it easy to identify him. He has to refresh the box a few times, kicking out few strangers, before he sees ‘You are connected to SXG. Say Hi!’

‘Hey.’

At the opposite end of the saloon someone with waiting eagle eyes cracks up, hand over mouth, at the nickname of ‘Bored Yellow Sweater’.

‘Are the checkered pants bored too? It’s a cute fit tho, to say the least….And you performed really well in it. Seems like you had fun. ^^’

‘Are you a headhunter, secret agent or someth?’

‘Oh no, just an ugly person too shy to approach. No confidence 😔.’

Yibo can’t completely hide the disappointment in his face. He tends to have high standards.

‘Thankfully I’m not that ugly, and I’m confident enough, but not to know how to approach people either.’

‘SXG’ is trying really hard to hide in the crowd not to be found out , since ‘its’ face is red of so much muffled laugh.

‘I noticed 😅...anyways, yes to all of that.’

The person sends the text too quick before realizing.

‘Is that a flirt? Well, this is not fair game. However, after that napkin little scene you proved that you’re clever and not as unconfident as you say.’ 

‘Thanks. 😏 Keep going.’

‘What are doing here? Pleasure or work?’

‘It was supposed to be more of the first now, but I don’t know anymore.😑’

‘So you’re a hard worker. Like me. We are progressing.’

‘At least you are already done and free.’

‘Maybe not.’

‘Are you going to perform again?😀’

‘Maybe not on the dance floor.’

‘ ...m...Wow, lion.🙊Is the lucky person here?’ 

‘1-How did you guess I’m a lion? 2- I’ll tell you if you show yourself. 3- Are you male or female?‘

‘Find me out if you can, kiddo 😉’

‘Ahhhg’. SXG cringes again mentally.

‘Busted! I was doubting if you were a teen by the excessive use of emojis, but these chat rooms are from my parents age....now I see you are so much older than me. How much?’

‘😾💨 *annoyed*  Are you a student? A worker? Are you a minor?! 😮 ’ 

‘No mom. I’m a D Major.’

Yibo doesn’t realize that someone is walking onto him. 

It’s a woman.

“Hiiii. My name is Qing ChunHua. Nice to meet you."