He felt it; the eyes of everyone following him as he walked down the hall. Each one was scrutinizing and judging him but he tried to act like he wasn't phased, as if the cruel words they whispered didn't twist their way around him and squeezed like a vice.
"Ew. Look, it's the gay boy who tried to seduce Cai Hong".
"I hope he doesn't confess to me, that would be gross".
"I heard he stripped at a gay club and caught some sort of disease".
Zhen Rong wore a smile despite the sadness that swirled around inside him and slowly made his way to where Qin Feng's locker was. He wanted to see his best friend's face and sweet smile to feel some sort of reassurance because the feelings that were clinging onto him were all too familiar and negative. He knew it would've been best if he had taken a few days to collect himself from the humiliation he received the day prior but Zhen Rong also knew that if he had done that he wouldn't want to come back and that would worry Qin Feng, something he never wanted to do.
Zhen Rong trudged down a pair of hallways and turned at each corner until he saw Qin Feng by his locker. An instant relief and happiness overcame him as he took in the small form of the male he knew better than himself. Zhen Rong was just about to lift his hand in greeting when he was suddenly pulled back roughly by the neck of his shirt and out of view of his friend.
Zhen Rong felt hands turn him around and fist the front of his shirt, pushing him hard into the lockers lining the wall. He looked into a hard set face---he was being held tightly by a very built male who sported a buzz cut, Zhen Rong didn't know who he was and was confused and scared all at once.
"You're the gay fucker who's trying to steal everyone's man?" a feminine voice sounded to his right.
The girl was pretty but her face was turned up into a sneer as she addressed him, his heart beat pulsated quickly. "What's going on?" Zhen Rong questioned shakily, the brute male didn't let him go, only slammed his head against the lockers and Zhen Rong yelped in pain.
"Sis, do you want me to beat him up now?" the male questioned, his frown not leaving Zhen Rong's face, who stared at them wide eyed.
"Yes. Teach him a lesson for trying to steal Cai Hong from me" the girl stated with a threatening smirk and Zhen Rong didn't have anytime to react before a strong fist came down against his face, earning a deep groan from his lips. His face hurt agonizingly because the punch made contact in the same spot Cai Hong had hit him yesterday which was still sore. The guy got in another strong hit but this time in Zhen Rong's stomach who keeled over at the impact, his mouth open as the air left his lungs and tears stung his eyes.
The built male finally let go and the taller dropped to his knees. "Why" he coughed and gasped for air, "why are you doing this? I didn't do anything" he said.
Students looked on as they passed by but ultimately turned a blind eye, not wanting to get involved and when they saw who was receiving the punishment; not caring. "As if I would believe that, you fags are all the same. Wanting to get into any guys pants that will take you" the girl insulted.
Zhen Rong peered up at them with water accumulating in his eyes, ready to spill. He clutched his stomach trying to get air to pass through his lungs, steadily. The girl turned to the buff guy and scoffed, "Let's go brother. He's not worth it" she then turned to the male hunched over on the floor, "you like being on your knees in front of a man, don't you?" she laughed out her disgust.
The two of them leave and Zhen Rong stayed there for a bit, hearing the shrill school bell ring while those around him hurried off to class, not one person coming over to ask if he was okay. Why was this happening? What had he done that was so wrong? He didn't understand it at all but he wanted it to stop.
"Xiao Rong?" at the sudden sound of his name he looked over to see Qin Feng's shocked face staring at him.
He wasn't smiling but he was there and at the moment that was all the tall male needed; already feeling the loneliness leave his body. He took a deep breath and got to his feet while he worked a smile against his lips before turning toward his best friend. Zhen Rong took in his neat appearance, he looked cute in an oversized sweater and blue jeans..
"Xiao Feng..." the male stated, happy that his breathing was back to normal.
"Why were you on the floor?" Zhen Rong saw the puzzled look in the his eyes. "I just dropped something, you know me; always misplacing stuff" he made his voice light and playful.
"Come on" he took Qin Feng's hand and pulled him along down the hall, unaware of how his friend's face was heating up with butterflies attacking his stomach. "I'll walk you to class".
======
Of course Qin Feng had been surprised that Zhen Rong came to school and wasn't at home drowning in snotty tissues and tears like he's come to predict but he was glad that his friend decided not to let it get to him although it would've been completely understandable. What Cai Hong did was just humiliating and mean and he wished he could do anything to go back and make sure that none of that happened to his best friend, unfortunately he couldn't; it happened and all Qin Feng could do was be there for him.
But as the days went by it didn't seem like Zhen Rong wanted to talk about it at all, in fact it seemed like he's avoiding it---the fact that he was outed to the whole school and made fun of. Anytime Qin Feng walked the halls he would hear his friend's name on the students tongues and it would provoke anger within him, he would actively glare at them or tell them to shut up but Zhen Rong did nothing as if he couldn't hear them at all.
He would pop up at Qin Feng's locker everyday, smiling and telling jokes or informing him of his many new interests. He always listened intently and smiled at the way Zhen Rong's face brightened up when talking about the things he liked. Huo Shufen had went and sought out Cai Hong but like he's told Qin Feng many times when he himself would want to get back at those who hurt his friend, Zhen Rong told him to leave it alone.
Yet during that time Qin Feng just didn't notice that his best friend had gotten good at putting up a façade because when they weren't around Zhen Rong was constantly bullied. From other seniors to Cai Hong's drama followers, everyday he would be harassed.
Some beat on him so much that he would have to avoid his friends occasionally or wear his caps low on his face as not to show the bruises. Others just pushed him around; one time shoving him into a trash can when he was walking to class, another time dragging him to the washroom to dunk his head in toilet water and to those who didn't have the guts to attack him, just taunted and berated him with words that cut so deep it was like they were leaving scars on his skin that he could only feel and not see.
"Your parents must of killed themselves for having a son like you".
"Why don't you follow them and kill yourself, too ".
"Disgusting retard".
"How much is your service, you whore?"
It got to the point where Zhen Rong had to hide himself away in a janitor's closet or empty classroom if he saw any of the people who were known to frequently harass him, only to sob and cry in the dim and quiet spaces. It was getting harder to hold onto his smile that it was becoming painful; the question of 'why' was always plaguing his mind.
What did he do? Why did no one like him? Why can't it stop? He spoke nothing of it to his friends who he didn't want to worry, they had their own lives and he would hate himself for getting them involved. But he could tell Qin Feng was starting to wonder about him with the way his eyes kept searching his face whenever they were together but Zhen Rong only smiled and cracked a joke to lighten things up.
But it was inevitable to keep dark secrets like these to yourself, they always found a way to come to the surface.