Chapter 4

They found the room soon enough. Baihua went in as a spy and sacrifice, pretending to look around and check out the club while recording the conversation with his phone in his pocket.

It wasn't exactly how Xuesong described it. Ten or so girls sat around a table and discussed what they loved about Hehuan, gushing over seeing him in the hallway, and creating self-insert fanfictions about him. Meihua was there, and she seemed to be enjoying herself, despite how her confession had gone. The Yandere girl never showed up.

Baihua reported no psychopathic behavior. Hehuan sighed in relief. Then, the twins went home, since their mother was calling for them. Hehuan was forced to stay and wander the school since he told his parents he was in a club, which typically lasted an hour or two, while their "spying mission" had only taken fifteen minutes.

Xuesong followed Hehuan. If he went home, he would just be greeted with the loneliness of his house.

They walked until they were alone in an empty classroom. Hehuan turned to Xuesong.

"Do you really not remember me?" Ah, this question again? Xuesong looked away.

"Not really." Hehuan frowned. He walked up to Xuesong and grabbed his face, holding it up so they looked each other in the eyes. Hehuan was slightly taller than Xuesong, so Xuesong had to stand on his toes. "Err... me looking closer at you won't make me recognize you more." Hehuan sighed and put Xuesong down. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments. The sunlight flooding through the windows started to turn from yellow to orange as the sun went down.

Hehuan rolled up his right sleeve, showing a bandage hastily wrapped around his arm. Bruises and scars were hidden underneath.

"Hmm?" Xuesong didn't quiet understand the situation. He flinched when Hehuan shoved his arm in front of Xuesong, so he could see it clearly.

"Don't you remember this?" Hehuan asked, his voice going a little on edge. Xuesong saw band-aids underneath the bandages. Xuesong shook his head, pushing Hehuan away. Hehuan looked shocked and hurt.

"Did I do this to you?" Xuesong asked, looking a little dazed.

"Yes, you did. Don't you remember?" Xuesong looked down, at Hehuan's arm, then back at his face. His eyes were desperate and angry.

"Ah- Uhm- Sorry, Hehuan." Xuesong ran away.

He hid in the bathroom while trying to recollect his thoughts. Wow. He was a dumbass. He probably looked like a coward running away. But, the pieces had finally clicked in his brain.

In the past, did he hurt Hehuan? His only faded memories were of the sunset and the faint taste of a ham and cheese sandwich. But he had forgotten everything. What had happened when he was twelve? Well, he life did go in uneventful blurs, but there was just a gap in his brain he didn't know how to fill.

Suddenly, his head rang. He let it ring, simply wallowing in the pain. The image of a boy smiling at him with sad eyes.

What...?

A memory of band-aids and bloody cotton balls. Picking glass shards.

Then, of hands, hitting him, the sound of a door slamming. Somebody screaming.

"Fuck you, this is all your fault. You don't deserve to live."

Did he say all those things to Hehuan? So why did Hehuan approach him with a casual smile?

Did he want revenge?

The face of a man, smiling, flashed in his head. Then, fading.

Ah.

What was he thinking about again?

Xuesong returned from his retreat into the bathroom stalls. He heard a girl's voice.

"Hehuan, I heard you went to your fan club."

"Yuxi Li? When did you appear?" Xuesong stopped and listened in. Yuxi Li was the stalker, wasn't she?

"I was watching you, Hehuan. To make sure you were safe. Why don't you trust me? I told you, everybody in that fan club hates you."

"Huh? You didn't say that. And, please stop following me."

"Are you doubting me, my dear Hehuan? Although I am deeply hurt, my love won't waver."

"Don't call me that, Yuxi Li. It makes me uncomfortable."

"Oh, honey. Don't you think you can at least start calling me Yuxi? It would make me very happy if you did so."

"Yuxi Li-"

"By the way, are you okay, dear? I saw the scars on your arm. Xuesong did that to you, didn't he?" What? What did he do?"

"How did you know? I only showed that to Xuesong."

"Pff, Hehuan, didn't I already tell you I follow you to make sure you're safe? You're so silly sometimes. That's what I like about you."

"Yuxi! Stop following me, you stalker!" Xuesong peeked through the cracks in the door. Yuxi seemed to be slowing backing Hehuan into a corner. She smiled at him with her hands held behind her back, standing on her toes, as if she was about to kiss Hehuan.

"Oh my Hehuan! You finally called me by my name! I'll get rid of anybody that hurts you, my Hehuan! I'll get rid of that annoying pest Xuesong that flies around you and tries to hurt you. Ah, just thinking about him torturing my poor Hehuan makes my blood boil."

"No, Yuxi. Don't do anything to Xuesong." His voice was raised. "Actually, don't do anything bad to anybody. Also, I'm done with this bullshit." With that, he stormed towards the door. Xuesong instinctively rushed away, although he didn't know why.

Did Hehuan hate him so much he wanted to hurt Xuesong himself, instead of getting that yandere girl to do it?"

"Where are you?" Hehuan texted.

"I went home, sorry," Xuesong replied, hiding in the bathroom again to once more recollect his thoughts.