More Than Friends

Chapter II

Saturday arrived. Outside the window, the sky was still cloudy, but the heavy rain that pounded loudly on the panes last night turned into a drizzle this morning. Su Yu got up a little later than usual since it was the weekend and he didn't have classes. But then he remembered what day it was: the day he was supposed to go on a blind date.

He groaned loudly, covering his face with the pillow. He wanted to find a dark hole and hide in it. He had no idea why he had agreed to it a few days ago. He was about to pick up the phone to tell Han Bo Kuang that this was a mistake and to cancel it altogether, but as he reached for the phone, something stopped him.

Was it that he was actually tired of keeping his secret feelings hidden for so long? Or maybe he subconsciously wanted to meet this boy since he was Han Bo Kuang's friend that he praised so much.

Or maybe it had to do with the fact that when he looked over and hoped to see Wu Bi sleeping like a rock, all he saw was a perfectly made bed, indicating that no one had slept there that night.

The day before, Wu Bi went out in the evening and it would appear that he did not return to their shared dorm. When Su Yu came out of the bathroom, drying his wet hair with a towel, he found Wu Bi in the hall putting on his jacket.

"I'm going out with Li Shuo and Zhou Si Hui."

"When will you be back?" Su Yu asked.

"I don't know. Don't wait up for me. You know these two never end the party too early. Unfortunately, I already promised them that we would meet up today." As he was saying this, Wu Bi was putting on a blue scarf.

"Drive carefully. The road is slippery," Su Yu replied. He walked up to Wu Bi and adjusted the scarf around his neck, which was a gift from Aunt Zhou. Su Yu had an identical one that was currently hanging on a hanger next to his jacket.

"Don't worry, I will," Wu Bi replied quietly, reaching his hand towards Su Yu's forehead to adjust the bangs that covered his eyes. They stood like that for a moment. Su Yu didn't know how long, but it felt like time had frozen in place. Wu Bi played with Su Yu's bangs, as the older boy tried to guess what thoughts and emotions were hidden behind those chocolate eyes.

Eventually, Wu Bi was the first to move away, sighing softly. It was only then that Su Yu realized how close they stood. Then the younger boy grabbed his white umbrella, car keys and left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Snapping out of his inner thoughts, Su Yu glanced at his phone. He was hoping to see a message from Wu Bi, but there wasn't one. He was secretly hoping that he'd receive at least a short message that he got there safely. But when he didn't see any notification, he felt a pang in his chest.

Wu Bi got him accustomed to his check-in messages, so Su Yu felt uneasy when he was silent. The younger boy often sent him messages like: "I went to play basketball," or "Classes have been extended, I'll be late." It became such a natural part of their friendship that Su Yu hadn't realized how much it affected his inner peace to get them. So when he didn't receive any message, he felt a knot in his stomach. It occurred to him that something bad may have happened since Wu Bi didn't send his usual message. Without delay, he dialed his number. After a few rings, he heard someone on the other end answering the call.

"Wu Bi?! Where are you? I was worri-," Su Yu started, but the voice on the other end of the phone instantly stopped him from speaking further. A voice not belonging to Wu Bi. It was a female voice. Su Yu's heart rate accelerated.

"Hello? Who's speaking?" a soft voice asked.

"Is – is Wu Bi there?"

"Yes. He's sleeping. Should I wake him up?" the girl asked in a melodious voice.