CHAPTER 1

“To all the staffs of the Elite UNIQ Newspaper Club, please proceed to the office for the monthly meeting. I repeat, to all the staffs of the Elite UNIQ Newspaper Club, please proceed to the office for the monthly meeting...”

Yibo sighed as he reluctantly closed the book he used as an excuse to have a good glimpse of his crush, the school’s famous tennis player, Wenhan. He was currently at the library to skip his meals and stalk over Wenhan, who he found out over his infamous stalking skills, likes to sleep at the library every after daily practice. So when the speakers boomed and announced the monthly meeting for their school’s elite newspaper club, you could imagine how Yibo glared at the innocent speakers as if it was the one really at fault, as if throwing daggers at it.

“Stupid Sungjoo hyung, why announce a meeting at a time like this,” he murmured while he gathered his things. “What if I’m not around the campus and am eating somewhere else? Then, what? He will scold me if I didn’t come? Tsch...” He continued to blabber until he felt a presence beside him.

“Excuse me, but... am I not seeing someone I should see?”

“Huh?” Yibo glanced over the person who spoke, only to be surprised upon being greeted by the handsome face of the guy he’d been staring at just a while ago. “U-Uhm...”

 The handsome newcomer chuckled.

Ah, music to my ears.

 “I mean, you were basically talking to yourself but I don’t see anyone you’re talking with.” The guy added, flashing him a toothy grin.

Yibo blushed. First, why is his crush suddenly talking to him? And second, his crush caught him at a very embarrassing situation! He must really control his habit of talking to himself when he’s in a foul mood. And lastly, he could see from his peripheral vision that everyone inside the library, including the old librarian, were gawking at them, probably wondering why a campus hottie like Wenhan was talking with a nerdy school journalist like him.

He, too, was wondering why.

Ah, maybe because Wenhan found him really weird.

“I-I’m sorry, did you find me weird? I-I’m sorry if I disturbed your sleep...” he stuttered, bowing several times to express how sorry he was. He stiffened when he felt a pair of warm hands on his shoulders which stopped him from his movements. He glanced up and felt awkward. Very awkward. But there was also this strange feeling of happiness tingling in his heart, probably because this was the first time he came face-to-face with his crush, much more, had a physical contact with him. He couldn’t help but to suppress a smile.

Wenhan flashed his megawatt smile before he said, “Nah. I just found you cute and interesting. Anyway, I better go. See you!” And just like that, he was gone.

And just like that, Yibo was left alone, with pairs of eyes looking at him with either amusement or envy. His heart was beating faster than it normally did, and he felt all of his blood went up on his face.

Interesting? Me?

And ‘see you’?

What does he mean?

Oh, how he wanted to flap his arms around like a happy penguin and dance to the rhythm of ‘Celebrate’, sing the chorus line ♫ I just wanna celebrate~ I just wanna celebrate~~♫  and proudly brag to everyone that Wenhan, Prince Wenhan of the tennis Club just TALKED. TO. HIM.

Realizing he’s been standing for far too long and was a couple of minutes late already, he quickly dashed out of the library and ignored the curious gazes from the gossipmongers and the deadly glares from Wenhan’s swarm of fan girls.

-/-

All eyes went to Yibo when he entered the newspaper club’s office. Some gave him a congratulatory smile, while some (mostly girls) gave him an envious look.

What? he wanted to ask. Did something happen while he wasn’t around? Or did he do something he wasn’t supposed to do? But why do some of them were smiling at him, specifically Sungjoo hyung?

“Uhm...” he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I’m late...” He took the nearest vacant seat in front of him and sat, biting his lips until he tasted the familiar copper-like taste of his own blood.

Sungjoo cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “So, Wang Yibo, while you weren’t around, we already did a draw lots of the individual article to be covered for next month’s newspaper issue.” Sungjoo explained.

Yibo nodded and urged him to continue. Sungjoo took a piece of paper out of a bowl and handed it to him. “And this is the only piece of paper left. Which means, this is your topic.”

Shaking, Yibo slowly opened the paper and once again, eyes were all set to him, as if anticipating for his reaction. Surely, this wasn’t the interview portion with the President of the school, right? He heard the rumour about the president being so strict about the article that had to be written for her. It was said that a student was once kicked out of the school because of a typographical error about her full name, and that felt like Kim Jong Un-ish.

Slowly, he lifted the paper and opened it, anticipating for a good topic that he can work well with. He rubbed his eyes twice to make sure he wasn’t just imagining things, because written on the small piece of paper was ‘Interview with Li Wenhan of the Tennis Club’. He was frozen in his seat.

“Yibo, if you don’t like your topic, you can switch with mine,” Hyelim, his co-journalist, bubbly offered.

“Yeah, switch with mine, too!”

“Mine, three!”

“Mine, four!”

“GUYS! Guys,” Sungjoo intervened, making their room of chaos silent. “What would be the purpose of the draw lots if you’ll just switch topics, anyway? Let Yibo accomplish his task, and finish yours before the deadline, or else...” Sungjoo’s face turned serious and looked at their eyes one by one. Yibo flinched upon receiving his serious stare. “I don’t have to finish my sentence, do I?”

Everyone nodded their heads, suddenly becoming nervous upon witnessing their editor-in-chief transforming from a happy-go-lucky guy into a strict and manipulating editor mode.

“So, everyone, I hope you’re all happy with your topics. Good luck and goodbye. Meeting adjourned!”