Chapter Five – Cracks

Slowly and gradually, it became evident that something was not quite right. His mask had felt a light tremor and upon inspecting it, had survived, but only barely. Miniscule cracks were starting to form at the edges, seeping through the tough emotional-alabaster base. Through years of experience studying microbiology, he knew that once those cracks reached the core, the mask would be utterly useless. That was how bacteria and viruses worked after all.

He lowered his right eye onto the microscope’s eyepiece, taking note of the amount of bacteria on his slide. Yep, it was as he had expected, it had quadrupled since last Friday, confirming that the antibiotic he was testing was no longer functioning. It was a shame really; the antibiotic was one of the newer ones too. He quickly jotted down his findings and tabulated it, then removed the slide from the microscope, safely disposing it. Reaching over for another petri dish, he injected a new strain of bacteria and prepared the stain.

“Oh my god, you have no idea how happy I am right now!”

His eyes flashed angrily at the loud, obnoxious intrusion. Placing his staining drip next to his bacterial cultures, he wearily took off his latex gloves and massaged his temples. “I was just preparing my cultures before you stormed in. Delicate work, you know. Now, what’s got you in such a hyper mood?”

The intruder smiled gleefully, resisting the urge to jump up and down. “Yixing, you will never believe it! I got a gig at the nice place down the road, and I heard that talent scouts are going to be there! This might be my chance to be famous!”

He sighed, shaking his head. Intrusions like this one occurred on an almost daily basis, and always during the more enjoyable aspects of his research. “Ahh, that’s great Jongdae. Do you know what company they represent?”

Jongdae grabbed him by the shoulders. “I haven’t told you the best part yet – these aren’t just ordinary talent scouts, these are international talent scouts. This must be the luckiest day of my life!”

He allowed himself the faintest of smiles. “Really? That’s great!”

His hyper friend pulled him in for a big bear hug, the silly grin never leaving his face. “I know!” He jumped up and down, all the while squealing like a girl. “This is so awesome that I am going to overlook being partnered with the strangest person in the world.”

Yixing raised an eyebrow. “Ah, your management assignment, right?”

Jongdae nodded, pulling a face. “His name is Kris Wu, and he’s so weird! I mean, last night when we were studying, he kept trying to… seduce me.”

Yixing’s brows furrowed. “I’m sorry; I don’t see the connection between you being seduced and the weirdness that is being perceived.”

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “Awkward unicorn, what’s there not to understand?”

“Well, to my knowledge, you are an attractive man and according to societal rituals of mating, or my limited knowledge of this anyway, attractive people being seduced is a normal thing.” Yixing retied his ponytail. “Now, unlike you, I am not an attractive man. How I ended up with a boyfriend is strange beyond belief.”

Jongdae laughed playfully, whacking his friend’s shoulder. “Oh please, underneath the geek factor and horrible fashion lays a very beautiful unicorn. He’s probably one of the rare species of human who appreciates you for you.”

Normally, Yixing would agree with his friend, but after what had happened with his mask, he looked unconvinced.

“Hyung…” Jongdae placed a hand on his shoulder, slipping back into Korean. “Are you having doubts about his integrity?”

Yixing sighed. “I don’t know, Jongdae. Something happened on our last date… I can’t explain what it is, but it’s unsettling me.”

It was Jongdae’s turn to raise his eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Yes.” Yixing turned away from him, looking solemnly out the window.

Jongdae bit his lip, lost in thought. “Well, every couple goes through some unsettling periods. It’s only a normal thing in the world of love. Maybe you should talk to him about it.”

“Hmm…” Yixing turned back to face his friend. He stayed silent for a while, before offering him a shaky smile. “If you say it’s normal, then that’s probably what it is.” He nodded for emphasis. “I’m probably overreacting, aren’t I?”

Overreacting. He desperately wanted to believe he was only overreacting. But as he stood there laughing nervously with his friend, he could feel the cracks deepening further into his mask. 

___

Author's notes: Hmm... this chapter is shorter than the previous chapters, but the drama is starting to heat up! *Inserts suspenseful music*

@BerrieDust: I'm glad you like Yixing's POV! Yes, like Kris with his colours, Yixing sees the world through masks :) As for Chen and Kris' colour... we'll have to wait and see kekeke :P

@chapchaenoodles and TheBlobMaster: Thank you for your compliments! I'm really happy you like the story and my writing style :D

@mikazuki_angel: Another faster-than-usual update! ^^ A date in a conference room - I was waiting for someone to pick up on that! He really is hopeless at relationships, isn't he? :D

Please look forward to Chapter Six! :D