WHAT A DAY. Just finished my routine [torture] rehearsal with Xiao Gui. He’s really strict, I’m thankful for that, but my body’s seriously having a hard time.

He’s been increasing the difficulty like the ranked system in League of Legends, where as we get to the higher rank, the battle becomes harder, in a way.

And today’s rehearsal was extra tiring, because I couldn’t forget his annoying kissy face. I kept having the sudden cardiac arrest exactly like the day he kissed me. It happened every time I accidentally looked at his face.

“Ok, I think that’s enough for today.” He turns to me. I unconsciously look at his face, and my eyes dart to his lips. For God’s sake.

“You need to...... pro—long your.... plank.... exercise.... at.... home.” My brains have been catching his words that way today, as if he’s talking really slowly, in a way that I feel a certain funny tingling energy rushing from my pelvic area to my spine.

Just what did he touch when he’s trying to close the gap between our bodies?

This is bad.

My hands are cold for some unknown reason.

“Uh... I think, I need to go now.” I walk to grab my bag, but stumble a bit. He grabs my stomach from behind, to prevent me from falling, with his hands.

Have you ever felt this weird sensation when you tripped in your sleep? I’m feeling it right now.

I gulp.

“Hands off, creep!!” I scoff.

“Alright... chill, ugly.” He finally pulls his hands away from my body.

How is he so chill about the kiss?

Perhaps, I should really be chill by now because he seems to be gay, for real.

---

I run as quick as I can to stay the furthest from the practice room with all the energy I have left. I’m afraid that I might’ve turned into his fan if I stayed longer with him.

But suddenly,

“OWW!!!!!" A basketball ball just flew right to my arm! I’m still processing the pain while about to turn to where it came from, but—

“POW!!!!!"

I was hit on the head with another ball, and it pushed me to lay on the ground.

My head is dizzy...

I start blinking many times, I'm trying to collect myself together. I try supporting my body up with my hands, and I manage to stand up. Almost.

So out of nowhere, someone slaps me. It’s very forfull of force that the side of my head that's hurt by the ball, hits the wall.

“Arrrghhhh...” I moan. I’m starting to have a hard time breathing because my head is hurting, so, much. I turn to the person.

Things look literally blurry I can’t really tell the face. But I’m sure it’s a girl with a pretty good proportion, probably long-haired.

“You have any problem with me?” I blurt.

She walks to me and puts her foot on my shoulder. She pushes it hard to the wall, and stays that way.

“How dare you kiss my Xiao Gui?”

 

Ah....

“I’ve seen this behavior. You like him a lot, but he doesn’t notice you, right?”

She slaps me again.

Alright... I went overboard. I shouldn't say that but that's kind of out my control, my head—

“.”

I am shook.

 

"WHAT THE ING HELL#$?! WHO THE ARE YOU TO CALL ME THAT???"

“I am his girlfriend." She takes a deep breath.

 

"We’re just currently in a transitional period.”

How I want to laugh to that.

“Why didn’t you do this to him, instead? He actually kissed me firs—“ She’s about to fly that hand to my face again, but I block it with my arm.

“W-wait, wait! I’m kidding. Listen to me, he clearly doesn’t like me!” He's gay, girl. Didn't you know that?

She starts pushing his foot that’s “resting” on my shoulder even harder.

“C-can you take your foot back, first?” I twitch my whole face, in pain.

She pulls it away.

I sigh in relief. “Alright. I can't... really see you right now, but I can tell that you must be very pretty." I'm telling the truth. She actually smells good. She kind of gives me a soft vibe, but I guess, outer appearance really doesn't define what's inside.

"I mean you have a really good proportion, you seem passionate, full of energy, massive strength—“

She starts exhaling; heavy exhaling, I can literally hear it. I'm scared. She's clenching her fist.

“No no, what I’m trying to say is that, he totally despises me!"

"I’ll tell you how he’s been calling me since we first met. He calls me ugly, and... gay!"

"And the kiss you mentioned was just a mock he gave me."

That doesn't sound convincing enough, smartass.

"He’s still a free man. Your free man. I swear! Just talk to him.”

She pushes my shoulder with her foot again. I'm startled and hurt. “N-now please, let me go." I beg her. My back is hurting.

But I think I have an idea.

Ideas do flow quickly when you're in the verge of dying.

"Don't you wonder about what he’ll think about you, his girlfriend, if he sees me dying or... actually die because of you?”

She flinches for a brief second then sighs. “Alright." She pulls her foot back. "Just, remember that I’m always watching you.”

Uhh that's it? This is new.

Whatever.

And she walks away.

GLORY TO THE GOD.

---

My vision has gotten super blurry. I needed to be rushed, this instant, to the nearest hospital or anything. But since there's no way that I could do that myself, I got the idea of calling the passionate girl.

So the girl brought me to a certain clinic, few blocks from campus. She asked me a lot of questions on our way, which I refused to answer; I was saving my energy, thinking that I might betraying my own words to the murderous girl—by actually dying—if I wasn’t.

 

“What happened to you?” She asks, just after the nurse’s finished treating my bleeding head and bruised face.

“Just, some dejavu of the old times.”

“EH? Someone bullied you, physically?”

“I was only injured a bit. Although, she kind of tried doing it few times. Haha.”

“WHAAATTTT?!”

I jerk my face away, a little bit.

“But I think I get it why she did that. She's soo crazy about Xiao Gui.”

“The one with various hairstyles?”

“Yeah.”

She starts furrowing her eyebrows.

"Why did she have to put out her anger on you, then?" She murmurs.

"Love does really make one do dangerous things."

"Uh... actually, we just—"

She looks at me with widened eyes. "Aah, Xiao Gui and you are together now? I see."

“No!" I gulp. "We're partners for a performance group. That's it."

She starts her lips while furrowing her eyebrows like totally doesn't buy my words.

"I'm telling the truth. It's just... he happened to be a little bit... y. So, I guess... being a crazy lover of him must be very painful... for her."

“There you go, trying to rationalize the culprit’s motives. I bet, you’re also not going to report her."

“Huh? Report her?"

"Yes, because you're injured, jie! Be a little bit selfish!” Her tone rises.

“Selfish?” I chuckle, awkwardly. “I’m not into him or something..."

"Wait, not selfish. This is about upholding the justice!"  She pauses then suddenly smirks. "I didn't say you're into him."

I blink many times. She made a point.

"Alright, but anyway, I think she just did what everyone would do if they're in the same situation with her."

She crinkles her forehead.

"I think, it's just like when someone... like... snatch our things away from us... therefore we... playfully hit them..."

She's about to say something so I cut her, "But just, her rate of hitting others is just a little higher than most people."

She sighs.

"Your way of rationalizing things never fails to surprise humans."

I smile sheepishly. Is that supposed to be a compliment?

"Listen. This is one of the many whys the Law exist. It protects people from getting hurt, in a way. Though it may not cover all types of crimes yet, by now, since it's made by humans. But for this case, I know the Law has something about it."

"We live in a lawful country so everyone MUST obey the Law. Come on, jie. You're not helping the culprit if you stay quiet. She needs to know that what she did to you was wrong. She'll change."

I bite my lip. I don't disagree with any of her words, at all. I'm questioning myself that, maybe, all this time I tend to chicken out not because I care about people, but because I care about my own insecurity.

Summarized, I'm just a big fat coward.

 

"Besides, who would believe me? I have no proof for that.” I tell her.

She holds my hand while giving me a slight grin. “Come on jie, you have me! I’m honored to gather that for you.”

She presses her lips. Her face features suddenly harden. "Also, you should tell him about this.”

"Huh?"

"I know you love keeping your problems to yourself. But, this one is actually his problem too."

I purse my lips.

“I’ll just make it like this: promise me you’ll tell him that.” She tightens her grab.

“Or else? Don’t tell me you’re not going to release this.” That's kind of lame, sis.

“You don’t say?” She chuckles. “I know you can’t help but to keep promises.”

“Try to re-consider this, jie. Please. I could compromise with the Sun Qian’s thing, because she didn’t really hurt you—although I still believe that she only didn’t get to do that before.” She sighs.

“But she did though, at the hill right?”

She sure knows a lot of things. I’m terrified.

“Please. I don’t want to hear anything about it.” I mutter.

“I just hope you’ll not fall into the same hole. I’m begging you.”

“He knew everything too, before, and things still turned bad.”

“But—“ She sighs. “It was pretty late, and by the way, you’re here now. I can't and I don't want to imagine what’d happen to you both if he didn’t.”

"Let's stop this here, ok? Alright. I’ll tell him.” I sigh. “Just, never mention that to me again. I’m also begging you for that, and I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?” She releases my hand and pulls me into a hug. “I’ll do everything I can for you, jie. Just tell him and I’ll be really good! Hehe.”