Hot and steaming. Just the way Yixing likes it. His eyes watched the dark brown – almost black – liquid follows the movement of the cup he was holding. After a moment, just to make sure the coffee’s temperature won’t burn his taste buds later, finally Yixing took a sip of his usual morning beverage.

The warm drink finally made him regain the heat in his body. Yixing wasn’t someone who specially only prefer warm weather, but today maybe makes him one. He remembered how the cold wind brushed passed him, and it’s only in the morning. Silently he hopes the temperature won’t drop in the night. It was hard enough last night, and Yixing doesn’t want to expect the worst to come.

His eyes darted towards the huge glass window that divides the coffee shop from the outside. Yixing took great amount of time just to absorb the entire scenery into his mind. The dry leaves flew by, people tug their jacket and scarf closer. It was a terrible autumn, Yixing finally deducted. Although the fact was quite obvious in the first place.

Thinking the nice-weather mental conversation is rather boring for him – or anyone in that matter, Yixing dug the inside of his messenger bag. He pulled out a pencil along with papers and a book. As he set the table according to his needs – the coffee shouldn’t be next of either the papers or the book, Yixing doesn’t want anything bad happen later – Yixing’s eyes caught the sight of the book’s cover.

Delicate fingers brushed the hardcover. His lips brought into thin line and eyebrows slightly furrowed. Yixing keeps looking at the picture on the book with interest. Slowly he slides the book closer to him, he also lowered his head to read the title printed on it.

With broken English and stammers, Yixing finally managed to read the title of the book. “… W-white… F-fang?”

He supposed he wasn’t entirely remember the book’s whereabouts because it surely wasn’t his. One of his foreign friend thought it was necessary for Yixing to start learning other language other than his native. Albeit reluctantly at first, Yixing agrees with Yifan trying to help him with English. And one of his friend’s method is by reading, if not so surprising.

But before this, Yixing never feels something in his stomach when he reads or looks at a book, nonetheless a book with foreign language he barely understand what it means. But of course he understands the meaning of the two words on the cover. But that’s not what makes Yixing’s finger touched the picture of a wolf growling on the cover of the book. Yixing’s heartbeat increases when he brought the book up from the table and started to open a new page, slightly surprised by his own act in the process.

Zhang Yixing never truly understand himself. People around him consider him as simply ‘Zhang Yixing’, nothing less nothing more. However even if he’s more than flattered with the lack of describing words, the title doesn’t actually give him a right idea about himself. “You’re just yourself” Tao once said to him in his usual soft spoken words.

If he doesn’t have a soft spot for the younger boy, Yixing might already hit his head. Or maybe his hesitance is caused by the fact Tao can do the kick better than him. But in the end Yixing could only nodded his head. At least from the sound Tao gave, he seems to have zero problem with Yixing as a person.

But again, it doesn’t settle that easily. Another question happened to popped in his mind almost too instantly for his own like. He remembered he watched the younger didn’t give him more attention when he thought of this. Of course Tao won’t feel Yixing’s personality a bother. But that’s if what Yixing showed really his true self.

Yixing flipped another page. Suddenly immersed by the story. He found himself stopped every paragraph, reading for second time, trying to understand each word of the story. It was interesting so far from the Chinese man. He wouldn’t be surprised, Yifan sure has a great sense for book.

He crossed his legs. But the second caused him to lose his focus. He raised his arm until he can read the number on his watch. He regretted it afterwards almost too instantly. Yixing sighed, found himself unable to suddenly unleashed anger or what not.

His fingers curled on the cup and feel the warmth crept to his hand. Taking a quick sip, Yixing’s eyes met again with the foreign words. After putting the drink back on top of the table, Yixing shifted on his seat and returned to his reading. Back to the experience two people is currently having, fighting over the cold-dead winter. And certainly worse than what he has here.

Yixing mumbled under his breath. Pronouncing each words, practicing on how he spell each words silently. He followed their story until his eyes bulged. He hasn’t expect it to get worst. Now holding the book with two hands, Yixing continued reading.

“A rabbit?” he suddenly asked. The girl in front of him is still smiling brightly at him. She nods her head, totally agree on her previous statement even if Yixing seems to feel otherwise about it. “Doesn’t it make me a girl?” he questioned again and receive a light punch on his side.

The girl huffed at him. “Of course it doesn’t!” she snapped. “But rabbit sure matched with you fairly well, don’t you think?”

Yixing raised an eyebrow and only received another light punch. He cringed to make an over dramatic effect. “But Han…. I don’t want to be a rabbit…” he whines at her. The girl – Han – smiles at him once more.

“It matches you, sweet and considerate; a brother I never have” Yixing found himself chuckles at her explanation. He feels emotions poured into him almost endlessly, almost suffocating him. Although he put a rather straight-happy face, he hopes what Han thinks of him is correct.

“A wolf? Wolves?” Yixing muttered. The word rolled on his tongue with a weird feeling. “So they scare the men then…” his words never complete when someone called his name loudly from the shop entrance. Yixing practically jumped on his seat when Tao and Han rushing towards him.

In haste movement, Yixing turned the papers upside down, closed his book and pretends to drink his coffee casually. Tao grinned when he snatched the book, making Yixing flinched so hard. But his eyes never leave the stack papers.

Tao’s laugh echoes. “Gege, why do you read this?” Han hit Tao’s arm and sent him a glare.

“You only said that because you don’t understand what the title is” she said sharply but a smile is still tugging on her lips.

Yixing let a small forced laugh. “Yifan’s idea” the name sure ring a bell to both Han and Tao.

Tao nodded his head as he put down the book. Yixing slightly hopes the younger would peel the gaze away from him. He felt his fingers started to graze the surface of the papers. The coffee is no longer warm, now it was cold – not really, but it doesn’t exactly calming him like it should. “Yixing-ge, we’re sorry for being late” he apologized.

Han is also giving an apologetic look at him. Yixing feels his heartbeat increased and his face flushed. “… It’s fine, I’m not waiting for that long anyway” he managed to lie and not choking his words like he thought he would be. “Why don’t we just go the amusement park now, as we are late?” Yixing suggested.

“But you haven’t finished your drink and your-“

“I’m done” Yixing abruptly cut Han’s words with slightly reddened face. “Why don’t you two go ahead while I’m cleaning up?” he tried to dismiss the fact he sounded harsh and demanded, like he’s wishing either Han or Tao is here. The two younger people stares at each other before excusing themselves.

Yixing blamed himself for being suddenly out of his character – if he is really in a specific character. He put his pencil back to his messenger bag. He picked the papers and sort them up, but he couldn’t help himself but stare. Stare at the paper, then outside – to the girl who linked her arms with a taller, tan, certain Wushu athlete.

Yixing’s fingers traced at the graphic dust left on the paper. He stare at lines those shaped the same face, the same shining eyes and the identical smile that always gets the best of Yixing. Averting his gaze to the real thing, he feels his teeth grinds.

He doesn’t know why, when, how, when everything turned this way. He feels he’s the bad guy when he supposed to be a supporting brother figure. But Yixing tried his best, okay? He really did, but jealousy, possessiveness, desires drove him to an uncharted territory. Yixing is lost by his own raw emotions. Deep breath.

With a bit of force, Yixing shoves the sketches of Han back to his bag. Yixing chugged the rest of the now cold coffee without actually care how bitter the coffee is – or maybe his mixed feelings is the reason the taste disoriented. He hastily grabbed the book but halted when he met the ferocious eyes of the wolf.

Maybe he’s not exactly like a rabbit, a hare or a bunny – and don’t start with rodents. And perhaps people thought wrongly about him and feels the assumption is better than the truth. Besides if the truth consists of Zhang Yixing is no more than someone who blew off three innocent pigs’ houses, or attempt to eat a small girl who just want to visit her daughter, world might collapse.

Yixing stole a glance at Tao and Han, small smirk crept in. How he despise this side of him. He remembered how the paragraphs described it. Taking out the defense before destroying it, making them shivered even more than the bitter-cold winter does.

Putting back the book, Yixing with a rather nonchalant face exited and met the cold autumn breeze that went pass him. Greeted him rather too cheerfully. Like they were greeting some sort of Dark Prince.