Boss • l.ty & w.yh

10

Chenle was seated alone in the cafeteria, waiting for someone.

But he couldn't seem to remember who he was waiting for until he saw you walking towards him with a tray full of food.

And everything seemed normal at first until he realized the fact that you were in your high school uniform. He did a double check on himself to find himself in a high school uniform as well.

He looked around the cafeteria, only to realize that he was back in his old high school.

When you get back to the table, you put the tray in front of him, take the little mandarin on the tray and start to peel it, flashing Chenle a weak, half-hearted smile.

"y/n... What's wrong?" The words slipped off of Chenle's mouth automatically.

It was as if his conscience was awake but he couldn't control what he was saying nor doing.

So many things ran through his head at the moment. How are you both back in high school? Why couldn't he control himself? Why were you sad? What was happ-

"Nothing" you mutter lifelessly, eating a piece of the mandarin that you just peeled.

"y/n you should eat more!" He mutters, pushing his food tray to you.

Oh.
Now he remembers.
You two were at your last year in high school.

You flash him another weak smile before pushing the tray back while muttering an 'I'm fine' to him.

"It's not nothing if you come to school with puffy eyes and a sour mood" Chenle says.

You sigh, knowing that he won't stop until you tell him what's wrong. You lick your dry lips and open your mouth to speak, but no words come out.

You try to fix the sentences in your head and when you can finally speak, tears seem to blur your vision of Chenle, but you try to tell what's wrong anyway.

"Remember the story that I loved to tell you back when we were first year" You say, blinking your tears away.

Chenle just nods his head before confirming "Of the girl and the guy who fell in love but the guy had some secrets and responsibilities that he couldn't tell the girl and he had to choose to let the girl join him and his messed up shit and dangerous stuff and continue their relationship or not continue their relationship for her safety?"

At that question, you breakdown in front of Chenle, furiously nodding your head to answer his question.

Ever since you became friends during your first year in high school, Chenle always knew that you didn't like opening up.

So he did his best to understand that. But there was this story that you just couldn't not tell.

The story about your relationship with a certain someone.

Although you never told him directly, Chenle knew, from the moment that you told him that you 'read this book' back when you were first year, that you always talked about yourself and some guy you met.

"Well... I just finished the book yesterday" You mutter, your voice cracking.

And Chenle understood. He understood it all too well.

"Did he choose their relationship?" Despite already knowing the answer, he just had to confirm.

"Of course he chose his responsibilities and her safety... despite-"

You were raising your voice at this point but you didn't realize it
"-Despite the fact that she said she was fine with all of the messed up shit!"

Chenle thanked God for the fact that it was noisy in the cafeteria and only the people from the tables nearby stared, although they quickly looked away, minding their own business as Chenle bowed and mouthed apologies.

"I guess it was the girl's fault though..." You mutter, catching Chenle's attention once again.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" He asked, unable to hear your voice.

"I said that I guess it was the girl's fault though" You say, repeating your earlier statement. "She knew what she was getting into the moment he kissed her and yet she still kissed him back"

You were no longer crying at that point. You were just blankly staring at the long forgotten mandarin that you peeled earlier, feeling completely drained and numb.

Chenle didn't know what else to do at that point except walk over to your side of the table, wrap an arm around your shoulder, hold your free hand and rub small circles on the back of your palm.

"It sounded like a good book though" He muttered to you as you rested your head on his shoulder.

"It was a good book Chenle. An amazing one" You whisper.

"Chenle! Chenle!"

Chenle glances around the cafeteria, looking for the source of the voice that was suddenly calling him when-

-his eyes shoot open and he looks around to find himself back in his room.

Oh.
It was dream about the past.

"Chenle!" The voice -that he now recognizes as his father's- calls him once again.

"Yes father?" He asks, glancing at the entrance to his bedroom where he assumes his father was.

"We have a meeting at five. This is a person that I've worked with a few times. And through he's on the illegal side, I think that you'll be able to learn a lot in the meeting. The leader's still young"

Chenle rolls his eyes at the words 'illegal' but shrugs it off.

He hears the footsteps of his father fading away as he gets out of bed to prepare for the meeting. An hour later and he enters the meeting room to see a man who looked fresh out of college.

He had red hair, piercings, a shaved brow and wore a crisp, black suit.

"Ah... Mr. Lee, this is my son, Chenle, future heir of the Zhong dynasty" Chenle's father says, patting his son on the back and pushing him forward towards who Chenle now assumes is Mr. Lee.

Mr. Lee gets up and approaches Chenle with a small smile on his face.

"Lee Taeyong" He says, introducing himself and holding a hand out to Chenle.

"And it's a pleasure to meet my future business partner" He adds as they shake hands.