Music to My Ears

28

This chapter was so boring and forced. I'm forcing out ideas right now. I need to come up with where to take this story, now that the main things I wanted to accomplish are done.

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All Hanyu has ever wanted is a simple life. Learn a few languages, dance as a career, become famous, and one day be a dad. Simple but long term goals that he knew he could complete one day. Things were going to stay simple, and fun.

Then a random Chinese boy put lipstick on hip and it was very clear that this simple life was no longer an option. The weirdest part was, this Chinese boy came attached with more, all strangers. That's not even bringing up his weird company. His two cousins that act like brothers, and that new kid who's more quiet.

Not that it mattered anymore. They were finally gone, of in some other country. Hanyu could relax and go back to his daily lifestyle. That was the idea. There was a small problem with this idea. Hanyu realized how boring his life was. Really really boring.

"Shuyang, careful careful! Do you need help?"

"I'm fine, go away." Shuynag was so young and small, but demanded to be treated like he was older. It wasn't easy for LongLong to do, he really did act like a protective big brother.

"Why do you keep trying?" Hanyu asked him.

"He may hate it, but he knows I'm always here if he needs me!"

"Don't you get hurt? Or annoyed when he does that?"

"Pushes me away? No, that's just his personality. Deep down he loves me just as much as I do."

"How are you so sure?"

"I can feel it."

"I don't see it."

LongLong was smiling. "Shuyang doesn't want to admit it, but he really is a baby. He cries easily, always scared, and doesn't like being alone. He wants to be treated like he's older, but he's just a kid."

"So are you. We're all kids."

"Hey! What do you wanna be when you grow up?!" He completely changed the subject. How kind of him.

"I want to be a famous dancer!" Hanyu said proudly. That had been his only real goal for a while. Of course, there were other things he liked, but dancing was the biggest thing to him.

"Me too! So does Shuyang, and Zeyu! What if we started a dance group?"

"No." Hanyu spoke very quickly. "That is not happening."

"Aw, why not? We all like dancing. We could to group covers or something! Make our own choreographs!"

"I still have school. And I'm busy."

"If it's with learning English we can all do that together too! Zeyu is really good at English because his dad speaks it."

"Which one?"

"The one with a narrower face. You know, he has a bunch of pretty earrings."

Hanyu was feeling bored. He wanted to do something other than all the same normal things he does. He wanted a change in scenery. And to do something different in his life. He didn't want to wait until he 'got older'. He wanted to do something now.

What was that something? Well several things happened all at once. First off, there was a giant mafia family exploitation. An entire system of drugs, and apparently child trafficking, was revealed. Hanyu didn't go outside for a while after hearing about that. He also ended up texting the other boys about it, just to make sure they were okay and staying inside.

Then there was ZiHao, that quiet kid from before, finding his sister that had disappeared. No one was supposed to know what happened, but some police officer posted about it. His sister had been sold to a brothel. The police officer got fired, and the orphanage Zi Hao was staying at was able to sue the police department. That was an entire issue.

Zi Hao and his sister ended up entering the foster program. Hanyu was getting a headache watching all of this unfold, while he was in his room surrounded by English workbooks. Zeyu apparently made a new friend, a kid named Min Grui. Hanyu hadn't heard anything about him, or talked to him, just knew that he was apparently part of their strange little friend group.

Hanyu was the oldest, so everyone treated him like the leader and boss. Zi Hao was the second oldest, the more distant but caring brother. Long Long was next, being overbearingly caring towards the younger three. Zeyu was the one who called the shot, he was the glue of the group. Min Grui was the 'copy machine', he could learn anything fast. Finally, Shuyang, the baby boy who wants to be a big boy.

Now that there were six of them, what happened? Dancing. Zi Hao and Hanyu were somewhat close to each other. They would meet up in parks and dance together, with their sister joining in sometimes. Yes, their, she had become the unspoken sister among the group of brothers.

"Hello Hanyu." It was one of Zeyu's dads on the screen. The two of them had been video chatting when Zeyu left to do something.

"Hello." Which dad are you?

"I'm Jackson, remember me?"

"Yes." No.

"You shouldn't lie."

Dang it.

"I wanted to let you know something. Zeyu doesn't know it yet either."

"What is it?" What was he hiding from Zeyu? It must be big and important if he was keeping it a secret.

"Remember that street performer? The one with long hair? He's asked to do a dance with all of you. So, we're planning on going over there for a week."

"That's so cool! What dance will it be? Where are we practicing?"

Jackson was beaming. "We don't know about all of that yet. I'm making sure all of you are okay with it, because we're planning to tell him on his birthday. Then we'll make it there for the New Year."

"So, I'll get to see him in person?"

"That's the idea."