"Have any of you seen Zhen Rong? I wanted to ask him to help me with my math homework tonight" Huo Shufen asked while walking to the front of the school with the others.
"I haven't seen him since this afternoon" Tang Li offered, "he rushed out of our last class so quickly I couldn't catch him." The chubby faced male had a few textbooks in his hand and sipped on a bottled caffeinated drink he got from the cafeteria vending machine.
"That guy is always running somewhere, he should join the track team" Lin Gao sighed with his hands folded behind his head.
"Wouldn't he just trip over his own feet?" Huo Shufen chuckled followed by the other two.
All five of them were very good friends; Huo Shufen and Lin Gao met Qin Feng and Zhen Rong in sixth grade while Tang Li befriended the group their freshman year. They've been an inseparable bunch since then, hanging out any chance they got and causing a ruckus wherever they went.
The three stopped laughing and looked over at Qin Feng who had been walking beside them quietly, clutching the straps of his bag tightly. "Hey! What's wrong?" Lin Gao poked his head and Qin Feng glanced to his left, breaking out of his dazed state as if just noticing them.
"Huh? What?" he asked.
"You've been silent since we stopped by your class, is something up?" Tang Li questioned with a raised eyebrow. Qin Feng sighed, for the remainder of the day he couldn't think of anything other than Zhen Rong and that letter and wondering if by some miracle he hadn't gone through with it but knowing his friend---he has.
"Zhen Rong is--" but before he could finish someone dashed past and bumped Qin Feng's shoulder effectively causing him to stumble forward a bit. He looked in the direction of where they went and saw a big crowd forming out in front of the school and his eyes widened at the scene. Qin Feng kept staring and his breath caught when he unmistakably caught a glimpse of familiar messy, black hair in the midst.
"What's going on out there? A fight?" Huo Shufen wondered with his gaze glued outside.
"Zhen Rong is confessing again" Qin Feng blurted out, his eyes still trained on the crowd and simultaneously the others all whip their heads towards him with wide eyes. "He's confessing to Cai Hong, he said he'd do it after school" he relayed.
Lin Gao and Huo Shufen would surely know the scale of what was going on and why there was unbeatable worry in Qin Feng's voice but Tang Li hadn't witnessed all those events, he had merely told him about those times when the drama fanatic had caught him watching Zhen Feng with a longing expression one day, informing him that he was wearing his feelings on his face. Qin Feng has since learned that the male was quite perceptive.
At the time Qin Feng had only admitted to liking his friend but that it unearthed sadness and thoughts on how the other would probably never notice or reciprocate the way he felt about him and that's when he had delved into the stories of the dreaded letters.
"Do you think that's why there's a crowd? Did you see him?" Tang Li asked and Qin Feng nodded, "I think so".
"This doesn't look good at all" Huo Shufen stated, "come on, let's go" he ran ahead and the three hurried after him. They pushed through the double doors and the noise of the crowd became more prominent. The four friends try and push their way to the front just when they heard yelling, they couldn't quite make it through but when they peered in between bodies the scene in the middle became visible.
"Ha! You think I would ever like you!?" Cai Hong laughed harshly at a stunned Zhen Rong who stood there amongst everyone at the receiving end of the seniors taunting. Qin Feng's chest clenched while murmurs passed through the crowd, some asking what was going on, others making jabs at his friend.
"B-but you smiled whenever you saw me and took me out for coffee many times and laughed at my jokes. Isn't that why you always made time to talk to me?" Zhen Rong voiced hesitantly and Qin Feng felt his stomach erupt into that of guilt. He should've stopped him, he should've pestered him more not to plant that letter and confess. The look of sadness on his friends face felt like his fault.
"That's called being polite, you dumb fuck" Cai Hong laughed and a handful from the crowd also joined along, Zhen Rong looked around him like a lost puppy and Qin Feng bared his teeth and clenched his fist.
Zhen Rong was regretting this as everyone's eyes bared down on him like they were clawed hands sinking into his face and back; keeping him there, rigid and feeling afraid. He had waited for Cai Hong out front like he stated he would in the letter and when the senior came his stomach was twisting with nerves. Cai Hong had smiled and walked over and Zhen Rong gave himself a short pep talk before he opened his mouth to convey his feelings hoping that this time would be it, the first time anyone would ever reciprocate them and not just shun him. Luckily the senior hadn't given him any inclination that he was that type of person but what he hadn't expected was the older male to make a scene and cause those already walking around outside to come over and see what was going on. Now watching the disgusted face of his crush, he felt his stomach twist into knots of anxiousness and disappointment.
Cai Hong stalked up to Zhen Rong smiling mischievously before he bent a little and gripped the sides of his pants and yanked it down. A collective gasp ran through the crowd, including Qin Feng as Zhen Rong now stood there in only his boxer briefs and after a beat of silence those surrounding the two males started pointing and laughing. Zhen Rong's face turned extremely pink while he tried to cover himself.
"What's wrong, faggot? Isn't this what you wanted me to see? To touch?" Cai Hong continued to provoke. Zhen Rong went to hurriedly pull up his pants but Cai Hong shoved him with force so that he stumbled back and fell to the ground. Zhen Rong glanced up woefully at the senior from where he sat, pants around his ankles and exposed in front of everyone. Qin Feng was shocked at what he was seeing but he aggressively pushed past those who still stood in his way to get to the front.
"Cai Hong stop!" Qin Feng shouted. Huo Shufen and the others falling in line beside him. Everyone looked their way, a confused murmur weaved through the crowd while they walked towards Zhen Rong who looked completely humiliated.
"You're going to far! What was the meaning of calling so much attention to this? If you didn't feel the same you could've just said so," Huo Shufen said with a deep frown on his face.
"Awe, are you guys his friends?" The senior mocked before signaling someone with his hands. Suddenly hands grabbed at their arms and pulled them back, Qin Feng was alerted and looked behind him to see one of Cai Hong's henchmen.
"Hey! what they hell?!" Lin Gao exclaimed and they all struggled along with him. Cai Hong smirked, clearly showing his true colours but it didn't seem like those around cared because they kept chanting for a fight. This was so wrong and Qin Feng was just feeling a hollow pit of anger in his stomach.
"Fine. You can watch me reject him then" Cai Hong said, going over to Zhen Rong who was just getting to his feet only to be kicked back down.
"You're fucking disgusting, liking a man" the senior spat and the crowd jeered and mocked. Cai Hong gripped at Zhen Rong's face roughly, bringing it towards him. Qin Feng was trying his hardest to break free from his captors hold, the look of hurt and betrayal imprinted in his best friends features was making him sick, "let go of me, bastard!" he shouted.
"You're just a fucking gay ass who wants to suck my dick, aren't you" Cai Hong spoke darkly and aggressively pushed Zhen Rong's face away before he lifted his hand that formed a fist and punched the taller male, who yelped in surprise and held up his arms defensively.
"Stop! Leave him alone!" Qin Feng shouted. His chest was squeezing unbearably seeing Zhen Rong spit out blood while everyone was encouraging the scene to continue, some even shouting to 'beat the fag out of him'.
Cai Hong got up from over a slumped Zhen Rong and Qin Feng could see a bruise already forming on his face. The drama captain grabbed a cup of coffee from a random student in the crowd and walked back toward the already pitiful male. Zhen Rong kept his face pointed toward the pavement looking drained. Cai Hong didn't give him a second glance before he opened the coffee lid and poured the contents all over him.
"There, the faggot in you has been beaten and washed away. Next time you'll think twice; as if anyone would ever like you. You're disgusting, remember that". Cai Hong stated icily and dashed the cup to the ground, "and no, I won't be your boyfriend".
When the senior turned to leave, only then did his henchmen let go of the four friends who instantly ran straight for Zhen Rong with worry etched in all their faces. Qin Feng dropped to his knees in front of him, quickly shoving his friend's pants up to where his butt met the pavement and then took his face into his hands, gently moving it to the side to check the darkening bruise. Zhen Rong's shirt was stained with coffee and the front of his hair dripped with the liquid.
"Xiao Rong.. I'm so sorry this happened, I should've been here sooner" Qin Feng said sadly.
"That stupid bastard! The next time I see him I'm going to pummel him into dust" Huo Shufen commented angrily.
"Count me in" Lin Gao agreed.
Tang Li was squatted Zhen Rong rubbing his back gently. The crowd had dispersed and Qin Feng was disgusted; they didn't care at all. Zhen Rong's head dipped once Qin Feng released his face so that his bangs fell over his eyes and didn't look at any of them.
"It's okay, I'm fine" is all he said.