Six

Yibo's Pov.

I sat in bed once again, reading. That's pretty much all I came here to do. I'm not interested in partying or hanging out with friends. I'm here to escape my life for a week, and hopefully clear my head. Zhan entered the room a few minutes later and plopped himself on his bed. He looked as if he was trying to fall asleep.

Three hours passed and here I was still reading. Zhan had just woken up from his nap. I occasionally glanced at him while he was asleep. I know it's a little weird, but I find something about him so... charming, you know, besides his face. He propped his head up and looked over at me. I looked back at him, curious. He just smiled.

"You sure love your books..." He said in a mocking tone.

"Reading, it's an escape." I reply, quietly. He sat there, silent for a while.

"How many did you bring?" He asks, sitting up on the edge of his bed. I waited a moment before speaking. Making sure my count was correct. "Seven."

"Mind if I read one?" He asks, with his voice growing husky. I smiled, then pulled a book from my bag that sat on the floor next to my bed. "Here." I hand him a book, something that he might be interested in, still with a smile on my face.

We spent the afternoon doing nothing in the cabin. Mostly sleeping and reading. I was pleased, though. This was all I could have hoped for. Finally, being able to converse with someone genuine after all this time lifted my soul a bit.

Zhan took a shower. I did the same, only to realize I forgot my towel.

"Is something wrong?" Zhan asked, noticing me digging through my bag.

"I, uh... I think I forgot my towel." My eyes remain glued to the bag as I reply.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they have extra here. Just ask one teacher." He assured me. He's right, there's no need to worry about it. I turned to thank him but froze as I caught sight of Zhan shirtless. My skin turned red and I could feel it. I wanted to hide it without being obvious, but couldn't think of any way to do so. As I sat there, clearly blushing, I did not know what to do. Zhan looked at me curiously.

"What, does my being shirtless make you uncomfortable?" He asked, drying himself off.

"N-no..... I'm just not used to it at all." I barely spoke.

He walked over to his bed and searched his bag for a shirt. "Wanna head out for dinner? We can ask a teacher there." He asks, still rummaging through his belongings.

"Yeah, sure." I reply with a little more enthusiasm than usual. That he asked if I wanted to come with him made me happy. He could just ignore me like everyone else does and do his own thing, but he's been including me. That could be the reason I find him charming. He's like the only ray of light shining in my dark world right now.

After he put on a shirt, he headed for the door. I walked close behind him. When we got outside, the atmosphere hit. The night sky, the breeze ruffling the leaves on the trees, and the crickets chirp echo across the park.

"It's so peaceful out here." I state in awe.

"Yeah. When I came on the trip, I didn't expect things to be this relaxing." He turned to me with a cute smile. My heart almost beat through my chest. As we walked to the park's kitchen or dining hall, I calmed myself. I knew nothing could happen between us. Still. I'd still like to be friends at least. Though that might expect too much. Things never work out the way I want them to, or need them to.

We entered the kitchen to see everyone already eating. I was a little worried that everyone may have picked through the food. We made our way through the room and got up to the food displays. There was still some to take form, but it looked like the main dish was already wiped clean.

Zhan grabbed us two trays and handed one to me. I let out a shy smile and thanked him. I ended up with a lot of veggies on my plate. Potatoes, Spinach, Carrots, Broccoli, and some other weird-looking stuff I did not know about. I had some chicken and rice piled on, though. When Zhan was making a plate, an instructor walked by. I decided now would be a good time to ask for towels.

"Uh, excuse me. Are there any spare towels anywhere?" I question as I walk up to the middle-aged woman.

"Well, if it isn't the cuddle buddies." She spoke in a joking manner. I felt my face heat. What does she mean by cuddle buddies? By this time, Zhan was already at my side, ready to eat. I glance at him for a second, spotting a smile on his face. It seems he understood what she meant.

"Sorry, kid. Cheng and his friends used the last of the towels for a bonfire last night." She sighed.

What the heck? Before I could even question her about it, she replied. "Don't ask.."

"I could look for spares around camp." She said, grabbing hold of her hip with one of her hands. I guess I'm not the only one who finds this like a camp. We sat there in silence, trying to figure out what to do for a moment.

"You.... could borrow one of mine." Zhan spoke hesitantly. I wasn't sure if he was offering or if he felt like he had to.

"I-I can't. I mean..." I decline, feeling like it's my only option.

"It's alright, I have a couple spares." He assured.

" Only if you're really okay with it." I reply, looking at the ground.

"Like I said, it's alright." He confirmed, bopping me in the head with his tray of food. I gave him a little smile.

"There, the problem settled. More towels should arrive in a few days if you still need them by then." She announced before disappearing somewhere in the building. I looked up at Zhan, then with a burning question still in mind.

"What did she mean by cuddle buddies?" I ask shyly and quietly as we head to an empty table.

"Well.. yesterday when you fell asleep, you kind of closed the distance between us." He said nonchalantly. I mentally gasp. I know I used to be clingy, but I didn't think it would still be so extreme.

"I-I'm sorry." I apologize, looking down at my tray. This is so embarrassing! "I can be sorta clingy... I guess."

"It's fine. I fell asleep soon after, anyway." He said, taking a seat and me doing the same.

Did... Did I spend the night cuddled against him? We ate mostly in silence as my mind ran through the embarrassing thoughts. Zhan finished eating a while before me, but he was kind enough to wait until I finished mine. We turned our dishes in and headed back to the house.

I placed a change of clothes in the bathroom. Zhan saw I was going to shower, so he dug through his bag and got out one of his towels. He exited the room and came up to me in the hall to hand me the towel. At that moment, he looked breathtaking, with his towering frame and handsome face. I froze for a moment before accepting the towel from his hands. He must think I'm weird...

I shyly look up at him, trying to hide my reddened face. "T-Thank you." I breathe out before heading to the bathroom. I washed the day away and then carefully dried myself with Zhan's towel. Laundry day should be tomorrow or the day after, so he won't have to wait long for me to return.

As I entered the room, I noticed Zhan laying on his bed, probably listening to music. When he heard my entrance, he turned to face me. "Are you going on that hike tomorrow?" He asked, elevating himself.

"I'm thinking about it..." I answer quietly. I'm still debating whether going is a good idea.

"It might be just what I need. I like plants and nature or whatever, so it could be relaxing." He informed me. I would like to go with him. I think it could be fun, as long as we keep some distance between ourselves and the other students.

I crawled into bed, ready to fall asleep. Zhan shut off the lights and returned to his bed. This is my first night sleeping in this bed. I hope I'm able to avoid my usual night terrors now that I'm in a new location. I didn't wake up in a panic yesterday when I slept outside, so hopefully, things continue to go that way.

I slowly drifted off to sleep, with varying thoughts running through my mind. Things seem to get better for me now that I'm away from home, if I can even call it that. I haven't felt the need to cut yet either, so that's a plus.