Days passed and it was finally Friday.
RIIIIIIING.
"Finally.." Xiaolang muttered under his breath. He spent the past week at this dull school. He was home-schooled before and technically already finished his high school education. If it wasn't because his mother had forced him to 'live a normal life' and 'enjoy school', he would have spent the rest of his time exploring a new dungeon on his video game.
It wasn't easy getting away from a predetermined lifestyle. Coming to this school was the only way his family would get off his back. But in return, he actually had to fully take care of himself. No help when outside of work.
He grumbled in his mind and started packing up his things to leave.
"Don't be in such a hurry to relax this weekend!" Ms. Khlรถe announced. "We have a test next week that amounts to a quarter of your final grade!"
"AH!" Yingfei cried in anguish beside him.
He looked at her in amusement. He didn't fully understand how he ended up being friends with the funny girl. Aiyan was nice as well but didn't really differ from most girls he knew. She dressed proper, looked pretty, and acted excited and girly like other girls. However, Yingfei on the other hand was somehow different. She amused him a lot this whole week.
She seemed shy, polite and weak at first glance, but was actually quite silly, patient and caring, not to mention a great cook. She injured her wrist for him yet never exposed an ounce of pain. If not for the bandage visible every time her sleeve slipped back, he would have thought she faked it the first day. If there was one thing he thought she seriously lacked, it was definitely confidence. He didn't want to call her stupid.. but she was definitely an idiot. Especially when it came to using her head. Be that as it may, she was awfully good at language. He had seen the poems or essays she had written in her notebook and they were quite impressive.
Despite that, the girl never volunteered or showcased her talent in it. She does appear a bit shy which he concluded to be the reason why she acted that way way she did. Even when he read it, he couldn't help but show a surprised and appreciative face. However, whenever she noticed him reading them, she would quickly snatch her book away claiming that it was horrible.
He couldn't understand her queerness at all. In addition, when it came to her wardrobe, he found it all the more baffling. She had a perfectly good looking fashionable friend like Aiyan, yet she chooses to dress like she stole clothes from the bargain bin; his own appearance not crossing his mind for a second, as to him, he had sufficient reason for his choice in attire.
All in all, he found her interesting, and honestly quite cute, but he would never admit that.
He watched her droop back down in her seat in total despair beside him and couldn't help but lowly chuckle.
Yingfei snapped a look at him and glared. But to him, it just looked like bunny trying to act menacing before a tiger. He shrugged helplessly to her, the amount of emotion he expresses slowly increasing the more they interacted.
After glaring at Xiaolang a while, as if realization had dawned on her, she gave him an evil grin.
"You know Xiaolang.." she said slyly, making his eyes furrow in trepidation. "If I don't manage to pass this test.. I'd have to spend all my time studying till the finals."
He looked at her quizzically, not yet grasping what she was getting at.
"Heheheh.." she eyed him up and down deviously. "That means no more lunch boxes till the end of the year."
As if struck by lighting, Xiaolang stiffened in his seat, stunned by the revelation. He didn't want to admit it but he thoroughly enjoyed the delicious free meals he'd been getting all week. In fact, it was the time of day he anticipates the most; a notion both girls came to realize after seeing his vigor every time during lunch.
He was being threatened, he realized. Threatened by a bunny.
In all seriousness, he didn't actually think Yingfei was capable of threats, and even the current threat, he swiftly concluded that she wouldn't actually follow through. But he decided to entertain her and see what she wanted. It could be a good way to repay all the food he's been receiving.
"What do you want?" he softly asked her.
Yingfei giggled. "It's good to know we're on the same page. I think.. you should tutor me a bit. At least so that I can get a passing grade."
"You want him to tutor you??" Aiyan, which had just come back from cleaning the board, gasped in horror.
Xiaolang was surprised by Aiyan's reaction, not fully understanding. He had somewhat guessed Yingfei wanted him to teach her but didn't think there would be a problem with it.
"Feifei! Are you trying to make him run away??" she pressed on.
Xiaolang raised an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting that explanation.
"SHHHHHHH. Of course not, Aiyan!" Yingfei tried to suppress Aiyan from speaking any further. "It's fine Xiaolang. You can come during the afternoon tomorrow. I'll make lunch!" she added.
Xiaolang's ears perked after hearing 'lunch'. He quickly nodded in agreement.
Yingfei grinned triumphantly at Aiyan while the later just shook her head helplessly and giggled.
"Good luck, Xiaolang," Aiyan said while looking at him pitifully.
.....
"Feifei you sure Xiaolang can handle your idiocy?" the auburn haired girl asked. They were both in the car on the way to work again.
"It'll be fine, Aiyan," Yingfei giggled. "He seems quite patient. I even noticed he's beginning to showcase a bit more emotion lately. Maybe he's finally starting to open up a bit."
"That's true. But I'm pretty sure he's more comfortable around you than he is me."
"That could be.. He still doesn't speak much though, so I'm more interested in how he's going to teach me."
Aiyan gasped at her. "Is that the reason you asked him to tutor you?"
"Of course not!" Yingfei denied quickly. "I really want to pass this test. But I can't help but be curious. Aren't you?"
"Well yeah.. He's very interesting.. Sigh. Feifei you're one of the wisest people I know. Yet you become an airhead when it comes to math. I just don't get it."
"Neither do I," Yingfei shrugged in agreement. "I'm not particularly good in other subjects either though."
"That's why I called you one of the ๐ธ๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ด๐ต, not the ๐ด๐ฎ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฆ๐ด๐ต," Aiyan teased.
"Hey!"
.....