Yu Chen POV
The glow from the cinema's marquee spilled across the pavement, catching in the glass doors and painting them gold. I walked beside Xu Yang, still in my school uniform — pressed, tie straight, blazer buttoned. I hadn't bothered to change. There was no need.
He, of course, had gone casual.
A loose beige turtleneck sweater draped over his frame, paired with fitted jeans that made his legs look longer than they already were. His hair had that deliberate messiness — the kind that looked natural but was probably calculated — and tonight, without those contact lenses dulling them, his blue eyes drew more attention than usual.
I noticed the stares before he did. People glanced his way and then did double takes, as if caught off guard by how… striking he looked. I told myself I didn't care. Still, there was a faint, unwelcome pull of irritation in my chest.
The ticket clerk gave a rehearsed smile.
"Sorry, tickets for One Piece: Red are sold out."
"Tch. Seriously?" Xu Yang leaned forward against the counter, brows knitting in disappointment.
"I really wanted to watch that…" He scanned the glowing movie schedule above us, "Hmm… what else is there? This is so unfair."
I shifted my weight, eyes flicking briefly to the long line forming behind us.
"Choose," I said, my tone flat, unhurried — but carrying the weight of an order, "You're wasting time."
"Ah! Yu Chen! What about that one?"
"Which one?"
"That."
His arm slipped around my shoulders without a hint of hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Before I could react, he leaned in — close.
Too close.
The faint scent of citrus from his hair drifted past my nose, light but impossible to ignore. His finger pointed at the movie poster ahead, his voice low with excitement.
For a second, I caught myself noticing how warm he felt against me, how the fabric of his sweater brushed against my sleeve. It was nothing… and yet it wasn't.
"Blue moon. Let's watch that." said Xu Yang.
I froze.
My thoughts stalled mid-step.
He was close.
Too close.
His hair brushed against my cheek, soft and light. I hadn't realized until this moment how fine and smooth it actually was.
Ba-thump
My heart skipped, then stumbled into an unfamiliar rhythm.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Xu Yang asked, tilting his head in confusion.
His blue eyes caught the light, bright and unguarded.
I blinked, suddenly aware of the warmth in the small space between us. Without thinking, I stepped back, shrugging his arm off.
My heartbeat was still erratic, too loud in my ears.
Was I… sick? I'd never had heart problems before.
"Yu Chen?" he asked again, brows drawing together.
"It's nothing," I said evenly, my voice low and unhurried. I shifted my gaze away from him, as if dismissing the question entirely, "Buy the tickets."
My tone left no room for argument — clipped, controlled. Still, beneath the steady surface, I was uncomfortably aware of the faint trace of citrus lingering in the air, and of the warmth where his arm had been. But I didn't let it touch my expression. I kept my posture straight, hands in my pockets, forcing the restless beat in my chest to fall in line.
I told myself it was only awkwardness. That strange knot in my chest — it had to be because I knew Xu Yang was a man dressed as a woman.
The closeness....
The casual touches…
It was unsettling in a way I couldn't quite name.
When the tickets were in hand, Xu Yang paid for everything without hesitation — the snacks, the drinks, even the candy he didn't need. I didn't care about him paying, but I did notice the way people were watching us.
From the outside, it must have looked like I was letting my girlfriend handle the bill while I stood there doing nothing.
If only they knew the girl beside me was actually a man. They would probably choke on their assumptions — and on their overpriced popcorn. Some might laugh in disbelief, others might stare harder, trying to find the cracks in the illusion. Either way, none of them would dare say anything to my face.
"Idiot,"
I muttered under my breath, not because he paid, but because he did it so casually — oblivious to the eyes on us, to the quiet storm of attention he dragged along wherever he went.
He walked beside me without a care in the world, as if the entire room wasn't watching him… as if he wasn't making it harder for me to ignore the fact that he stood out.
"Hm? What was that?" Xu Yang asked, glancing up at me with that easy smile.
I lied smoothly, "I said the drinks are taking forever."
"Be patient! Can't you see the line?" he huffed, rolling his eyes.
I said nothing.
Not because I can't argue back — but because I didn't trust my voice to come out steady.
------
The movie had already started.
I stifled another yawn. Ten minutes in and I could already tell — this was going to be boring. I couldn't understand how this film had drawn such a big crowd. The romance was nothing but a cheap fantasy, the kind of scripted nonsense that wouldn't survive a single day in reality.
I wondered if Xu Yang felt the same.
If he was bored, I'd have an excuse to suggest we leave. No point wasting two hours on something this dull.
But then—
…Oh.
He was enjoying it.
I glanced at him from the corner of my eye.
His expression was lit with an almost childlike focus, as if he'd been pulled straight into the story. A sad scene unfolded on screen, and he looked genuinely moved. I almost scoffed. It was just acting. Behind the camera, those same actors probably laughed over coffee after crying their hearts out in front of the lens.
Then his expression shifted again. A small laugh escaped him at some comedic beat.
A minute later, his brows drew together, lips pressing tight — irritation, maybe?
I kept watching, not the movie, but him. Scene after scene, his face mirrored the tone exactly: sad when it was sad, tense when it was tense, shy when the leads flirted.
It was… unexpected.
I hadn't realized before how expressive he was. Every reaction was unfiltered, worn openly like a child who hadn't yet learned how to hide what they felt.
End of Yu Chen POV
Yu Chen let out a quiet chuckle.
The longer the film went on, the less attention he paid to the screen — and the more he found himself watching Xu Yang's face instead. Every shift in expression, every spark of emotion, was more interesting than the story playing out in front of them.
A few hours later, the credits rolled. The lights came up, and the audience began filing out of the theater.
"Ahhh! I didn't expect it to be that good,"
Xu Yang said, stretching his arms as he walked beside Yu Chen, "So? Did you like it?"
"Hm. It was… alright,"
Yu Chen replied smoothly, despite having no idea how the film had actually ended — or even what the full plot was.
"Heh, so my choice wasn't a failure," Xu Yang said with a satisfied grin. Then, without warning, he grabbed Yu Chen's hand and tugged him forward.
"Come on, night market! Let's gooo!" he cheered.
Yu Chen said nothing, making no move to pull his hand away. He simply let himself be led, his long stride adjusting to match Xu Yang's eager pace.
The night market was alive with noise and color.
Lanterns swayed overhead, casting warm light on the crowd. The air was thick with the scent of grilled meat, fried dough, and sugar, each aroma weaving into the next. Vendors called out their specials, children darted between legs clutching toys, and somewhere in the distance, a busker's guitar competed with the hum of the crowd.
Yu Chen and Xu Yang had already tried every ride that looked remotely dangerous. The roller coaster, the drop tower, even the spinning teacups that made Xu Yang double over laughing while Yu Chen sat there with the same unreadable expression.
Now they moved from stall to stall, Xu Yang's enthusiasm pulling them forward. People glanced at him — a mix of curious stares and quick double-takes — but he was too busy buying skewered squid, candied hawthorn, and a tiny fox keychain to notice. He even grabbed a fox mask from one stall and pushed it onto his head with a triumphant grin.
They eventually collapsed onto a bench tucked between two food stalls, Xu Yang working on a cone of vanilla ice cream.
"Ahhh," he sighed, swinging his leg lazily, "this is amazing. I don't think I've had this much fun in years."
Yu Chen's gaze lingered, but he didn't speak.
"When I was a kid,"
Xu Yang continued, tone softening, "I used to see other kids come home from places like this. Arms full of toys, faces sticky with candy. My family never took me. Guess tonight makes up for it."
He smiled — not the wide, cheeky grin he usually wore, but something smaller, almost fragile.
"Thanks, Yu Chen. You're… the best friend I've ever had."
Yu Chen didn't reply. He had the sudden sense that if he asked why, the moment would shatter.
A cool droplet hit Xu Yang's hand.
"Eh?" Xu Yang looked up just as rain began falling in fat, heavy drops. Within seconds, the sky opened, drenching the street in a silver curtain.
"It's raining!" he said happily, pushing himself up from the bench.
Water clung to his hair, darkening it, streaming down the side of his face.
Yu Chen hesitated, watching him stand there grinning like the rain was part of the fun, before finally following when Xu Yang darted under a nearby stall's awning.
The space smelled of fried buns and sugar. Xu Yang leaned against the counter, damp hair plastered to his forehead, a few drops clinging stubbornly to his lashes.
Without a word, Yu Chen pulled off his jacket and tossed it over Xu Yang's head.
"Put this on."
Xu Yang chuckled, sliding it down over his shoulders instead.
"Thanks, Yu Chen."
Yu Chen didn't answer — but he didn't take the jacket back either.