A Love For Keeps

No Joke

(AHNZONG)

"When have you turned vain?" I asked Yu as we walked along the drugstore aisle.

More than a week since we came back from Hainan, I asked Yu to help me pick some groceries and toiletries for the baseball team camp that will happen this weekend.

The whole highschool baseball team will have a team building camp this weekend. As one of the coaches of the team, I am tasked to make sure we have enough food and toiletries for the players. The budget for that was handed to me yesterday.

I took the opportunity to ask Yu to accompany me. It's the weekend, and I think it's a great chance for me and Yu to continue strengthening our friendship.

Since Hainan, Yu had become more carefree and easy to smile and laugh. People on the Academy are now frowning at Yu and noticing the changes in him. Yu had become...happier. Lighter. There is no other description to be use than those.

Yu is happier. And everyone are now noticing and wondering what brought that change in him.

I, for one, know the reason why Yu looks like someone walking on cloud nine nowadays. One reason...a person.

Wang Qing.

Since Yu met Wang Qing, Yu is slowly changing. From someone somber and solemn and almost always in a serious mode, Yu now smile and appeared more relax than ever.

I know that the two of them meet regularly in the last week. I don't know what they talk about or what they do when they are alone together, and honestly, I don't want to know or even imagine, but it's working. I like Yu better this way. Chuckling and cheeks flushed with happiness.

Right now, Yu is happily putting half a dozen facial masks on his basket. We were supposed to buy tubes of shampoo, soaps, bath towels, first aid stuffs, wipes, etc for the High School baseball team but Yu is taking advantage of this shopping venture and decided to shop for things for himself as well.

Yu grinned at me, "LiYan recommended this brand of facial mask to me. I also change my moisturizer by her recommendation. And it works, I like my moisturizer now more than the previous one that I used," he sounded proud.

"Really?" I stared at Yu critically, "I don't see any difference. Your face still look pimple free..."

Yu is blessed with good skin. He is always mistaken for someone younger than his real age because of his blemish free face. I don't see any significant change on Yu's skin even though he is using a new moisturizer.

"In appearance, sure. But the real test will start when you feel my cheek. Feel them," he presented his right cheek to me.

I sighed at his silliness and poke his cheek using a fingertip. I felt soft skin. "Oh! Why is your face so soft?" Several more fingers joined the first one as I felt Yu's cheeks properly. "They are so soft..." I cannot believe it. Yu's skin felt soft to touch.

"See?!" Yu chuckled and continued walking. "I thought I was taking care of myself properly but it turns out, I am doing something wrong. I should have went to a dermatologist first and get my skin checked before using certain product. The previous product I used can prevent pimples but it also dries up my skin."

"Ah," I didn't know that. Should I do that too?

"LiYan taught me a lot. She is so nice," Yu sounded satisfied. "She sometimes dine with me and Wang Qing. We have each other's numbers. We allowed each other to call and message, to get to know each other more. She is cool."

I smiled as I let him walk ahead. It looks like Miss LiYan is nice to Yu, at least. That woman is not warming up on me. I am treating her politely and nicely but she just won't give me some slack and relax her defenses towards me. It seems like she raised her guards when she is around me.