"Xing Xing, don't scare me! What's going on?" I worriedly yelled.
Xing Xing's face was pale and his eyes bulged out as he moved them fervently in panic and fear.
He made choking noises as he uttered a few words.
"I-I'm s-sorry. I-I'm sorry. I-I'm s-sorry."
He kept on repeating. Again and again.
"What are you sorry for? Explain! Yu Ge, what's happening to him?! Shouldn't he be safe if he took the zombie trial serum?!"
My brother showed me a worried look and replied, "Well, it's supposed to. But did he really take it?"
"...What do you mean... he didn't take it?"
I turned to Xing Xing and asked, "You took it, right? The zombie trial serum? Right? Right? Xing Xing, tell me. Xing Xing?"
Xing Xing only muttered after a round of convulsing.
"N-no."
I wasn't shocked. Just in despair.
"Why? Why would you do that?"
By now, both of our eyes were wet.
Xing Xing barely sat up as he started to gain some mobility back.
His voice sounded a lot better too.
"Lai, I'm afraid of needles. I've seen what drugs do to people. Don't you remember? We work for the underworld. You worked at home with just a device, but I had to work directly in the society. I've seen perfectly fine people going crazy and dying because of drugs. I'm scared. Terrified of anything that's related to medicine, powder, and needles. I couldn't get over it as soon as I heard about it. I'm lucky to have been able to get powers from the Red Phase."
He muttered this quickly as if he was afraid that I would understand what he was saying, but he also wanted to tell me this.
Before I could say anything, Xing Xing shouted, "I know there could be other solutions. But I don't care. I don't care about my life. You know. All this time, I felt dissatisfied. My family doesn't really love me. It's no wonder since I'm away from them most of the time. And you know what? I feel pitied. I hate it. I'm not as bright and sunny as you, people call me nerdy, gloomy, depressed. I know I'm not sociable. But did you have to go and fight every one of those people who called me names? I'm not satisfied with my life. In fact, I'm jealous of you. I'm almost jealous to the point that I hate you sometimes. I really don't deserve to be your friend..."
I retorted in anguish, "No! Xing Xing, I wasn't pitying you! You must know that! I-I like you! I adore you! I was only trying to protect you! I really don't think of you as pitiful! You aren't gloomy, you're smart and caring! If anyone doesn't know that, they're the ones that are stupid! Xing Xing, you don't need to be sorry. I should be the one. I'm sorry I never noticed..."
His face froze.
Suddenly, my brother spoke up.
"Xiao Lai... he's going to turn. Say it quickly..."
Reminded, I looked closely at his condition.
He really was turning, it wasn't some illusion or lie.
His face was still frozen as he had a weird expression on his face.
I continued, "Yeah, it's true. I like you."
Xing Xing's lips moved. The quivered as he gave a bitter detesting smile.
"I can't think of you that way. I don't have anything against being gay. I just don't like you that way. I can't think of you that way. Hey, you know that I practically hate you, right? Do you still like me?"
"I like you," I determinedly told him.
He scoffed, but he couldn't hide away his tears.
"I'm sorry." were his last words.
Then he turned.
After Zhang Xing turned, he was a typical zombie. Just with additional powers.
Shui Lai was standing still, crying without words, looking like he was staring at nothing but darkness.
The other members of the team all politely moved away.
I didn't kill off Zhang Xing the zombie.
I captured him and put him in restraints.
I'd deal with the kid later.
First off, we were finished with the mission.
We would now go back.
"Xiao Lai."
No response.
I sighed. Really, love was terrible.
It could lighten up your life but also make you feel like dying.
I gently patted Xiao Lai's back as he started to come back to the world and whimper.
I couldn't say anything to console him this time.
I wanted to beg to God if he was real. Could you please make this boy's life fortunate?
While Xiao Lai was still sobbing in my embrace, I motioned towards the other members.
They entered my space one by one, with Shane being last.
He had tears in his eyes and they were about to flood over.
He must've felt guilty, but it really wasn't his fault.
It all led back to me.
I should've checked directly for every person.
If there was another person who had Trypanophobia like Zhang Xing or some other phobia, the same situation could have occurred.
Well, there was also the fact that Zhang Xing probably manipulated the records to make the files say that he took the serum.
I just didn't know how to deal with this.
Stress was coming onto me all at once.
I wish I could take a break.