It's the first meeting for our Theatre Slam production! I'm so excited to meet the rest of the team! Most of the seniors I've worked with last year have graduated, so it would be a batch of fresh faces. Fresh ideas, fresh inputs! A new synergy, a new dynamisim, what new sparks may emerge? I'm looking forward to bouncing our ideas and energies off fellow like-minded literary geeks.

I wonder if he'll be here too? Part of me wants to see him again, and part of me dreads having to see him here and have to deal with the awkward. I have not contacted Yixing these past few  days, seeing how awkward things are between him and J at the moment. They have escalated to an impasse right now. Their relationship has been kinda estranged, and honestly, I don't really know what has been going on between them! Other than that they have not been having lately. Cause that's all J has been confiding in me. Come to think of it... I suspect that's all their relationship has been built on. . And it seems that Yixing has gradually been losing his interest in sleeping with J, as according to J, he has not been making booty calls at her place, and has been finding convenient excuses whenever she initiates . J's still rather besotted with him so she's still trying to hold onto the relationship. As for Yixing, I guess it's quite apparent his attraction for her has died down. I wonder why he's not initiated a break-up yet? It'll probably break J's heart. But I know J. Give her a couple of days to sob and within a week, she'll probably bounce back to her usual cheery self and be probably safely esconced in the arms of some new hunk.

"Alright then! Guess we have everyone!" announces Kyungsoo, the director for the production this round. He's one of the remaining seniors still around this year. So we're in experienced hands. 

This is everyone huh? I guess Yixing didn't sign up afterall. Oh well.

"Wait a minute... one, two, three...nine. There should be ten of us!" says Kyungsoo.

Someone knocks frantically at the door opens it and rushes in. It's .... Yixing! My heart skips a beat.

"Sorry folks! Rushed here after my dance practice!"

"Ok! Now we finally have everyone!" Kyungsoo beams.

Yixing sits down and acknowledges me from across the room. I return with an awkward smile. 

***

"So Bo, you're Kate, co-writer and co-producer" Kyungsoo reads off his list.

"Yixing, Petruchio, also co-writer and co-director" Yixing will be the lead too?! We both look up at each other and smile awkwardly again, while Kyungsoo continues rattling off his sheet.

We brainstorm on the direction we're taking for our adaptation and the neccessary tweaks and additions to the original script. Yixing and I got into a lively debate about the alterations we should make to our lead characters' scripts. In the end, our team voted and Yixing's version emerged triumphant. Though I'm not fully convinced that his won because it's the better version. Our team is made up of majority of girls, and they all seem so utterly charmed by Yixing! They all seem to respond positively to whatever Yixing suggests! Urgh!

The meeting adjorns after the majority agreed on the new direction we're taking and we're tasked to make the necessary alterations to our scripts and email them to the online forum for further discussion before we next meet up for first round of rehearsals.

"Hey! Bo! Wait up!" Yixing shouts after me as I exit the room.

"Are we back to being strangers already?" he teases.

"No, of course not! I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye. I got...distracted that's all."

"Distracted... or annoyed? You displeased that my version won over yours? Come on, just admit mine was better! Don't be a sore loser Bo! That's beneath a classy lady like you!"

"I'm not a sore loser! Excuse me! And I still think my version is better! Pur-lease...did you not look at our team? The reason your version got favoured was because you successfully lobbied, aka, flirt with all the girls on the team! Urgh! Swoony girls! How I wish we had last year's team, made up of majority male seniors. Then they won't be taken in by your greasy charms and will vote objectively instead!" I lament.

"Oh. You mean that's how your version won out last year? Because you had all their adoring male support?"

"What?! Nooo... Last year they adopted my ideas because they were simply superior. There was none of this testosterone-hormonal nonsense at work! They all voted with their heads!"

"I'm sorry, come again, which head?" Yixing laughs. "The one...up here" He points to his head, "or down here?" he makes an assertive grab at his crotch.

What! I mouth silently. I'm scandalised. Did Yixing just grab his private parts in full view of me? Rude!

I recover from my momentary shock and shriek "Zhang Yixing! How rude!"

"I'm sorry! I was just trying to illustrate my point succinctly. Men think with two heads!" Yixing laughs.

"Gross! I can assure you that was definitely not that case! Besides, I'm practically married to Siwonnie. Everyone knows that! There's no incentive for any guy to get on the good graces of a taken woman! They're not interested in me in that way!"

"I think you underestimated the appeal of the forbidden fruit, Bo. Especially when the fruit in question is someone as alluring as you. Married or not..." I feel knots in my stomach. Why is Yixing talking so suggestively?

"And stop saying you're married. You're not alright? Last I checked, your last name's not Choi yet."

I raise my hand and flash my massive 8-carat engagement ring at him, and stick out my tongue.

"Ooh...huge rock! But yet, only an engagement ring. I don't see any wedding bands yet. So moot."

"Oh I see! That's what you keep telling yourself when you go after the married or soon-to-be married women? Is that it?" I shoot back.

"Speaking of which. Just what is going on with you and J? Why are you leaving my bestie in a limbo? Either you go have a proper talk with her and work out whatever issues you have with her or you end it cleanly!" I continue.

"Honestly, I...don't really have any issues to work out with J. We don't exactly have much to work on...or even talk about! Our relationship is just built on the ephemeral foundation of lust, , and more . That's ... about it, really!" I can't believe he's so blatanly candid about it.

"I can't believe you're debasing your relationship with J so simply. And you do realise I'm her bestie right?" I make a move to walk away from Yixing.

He grabs hold of my wrist and holds me back, and holds onto my shoulders and say "Exactly. You know her well. So I can be brutally frank with you. Come on! If you ask J to define our relationship, I'll bet you she gives you a similar reply. It's simply the honest truth."

I fume and deliberate for a second. Ok, so I did suspect earlier that their so-called relationship is merely an extended hook-up.Yixing's just confirming my suspicions. So I can't quite put my finger onto why I'm so mad.

"Urgh. So what are you planning to do now? Are you going to break the news to her? Break it off? Do something! Don't leave J hanging! She doesn't deserve this! Shes' a nice girl! You know that! Don't you dare take advantage of her kindness!"

"I know, I know! I should do the decent thing! Call it off! But I can't, ok? There's too much at stake this time!"

"What?"

"You, Bo! You!" I'm dumbfounded. Me?

"What's gonna happen to our friendship if I call it quits with J? Can we still remain as friends? Or are you gonna avoid me? We click. You and me. We've got a real connection. This precious friendship. It's special. It's rare. I don't wanna lose this... " Yixing tightens his grip on my shoulders and his eyes searches mine.

"Suu..re. I'm...sure we can remain as friends. I'm sure after a period has pass, J won't mind. She's not that petty, so..."

"That's great." Yixing embraces me into a tight hug and exhales, "That's a relief. That's all I want to hear from you. I  don't wanna lose you, Bo"

After hugging it out for a while, Yixing finally lets me out of his arms and says "I know what to do now. By the way, you smell lovely, Bo. Well, we better get going for class! Thanks Bo!" then he leans in and pecks me on my cheek before he bid farewell. My heart pounds.