Etude: a French term for "study"; a piece of music concerned with some aspect of musical technique.
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Yang Liu lived in a luxury apartment in the Wudaokou neighborhood. That was one of the best neighborhoods in Beijing. The neighborhood was famous for its close distances to universities including Tsinghua University and Peking University. It was around 6.2 miles from the center of Beijing, between the Fourth and Fifth ring roads, and had good public transport links including a station on Line 13 of the Beijing Subway. Some may also refer to Wudaokou as Koreatown for a large number of Koreans in the area.
His best friend's parents bought the apartment for him. At first, Yang Liu refused and said that he would only look for a cheap flat to stay in Beijing, but his friend dodged and said that Yang Liu needed privacy and tight security to cover up his true identity. Of course, these two things could not be found in rental housing at low prices.
Yang Liu needed a place to live with a layered security system so that it would be difficult for other people to intrude on his privacy. It would be very dangerous if there were people who infiltrated his residence and found out his secret. That was why he accepted the expensive gift even though with a heavy heart.
His friend was his hero. Not only a place to live, but he also provided a sportbike for the handsome vampire. The Dark Stealth with black wheels Ducati Monster+ was certainly not cheap.
During the past year, his friends had given him a lot of kindness. His friend's parents were also very kind to him. They took him as a family, even letting him call them "dad" and "mom." They didn't know Yang Liu's true identity because they respected Yang Liu's privacy and didn't do anything to find out his identity.
Many times the vampire felt bad about that. He didn't want to lie to them, but he also didn't want to reveal his secret. He may be lost them just like when he lost his parents.
Yang Liu was just thinking about his best friend, and the said friend suddenly contacted him. His best friend's name was written on his cellphone screen.
He just arrived at his apartment and was in his bedroom. He walked to the bed and put his bag on the bed, then he sat there calmly. His thumb then moved on the phone screen to answer the call.
"Yang Liu, how are you doing? I'm sorry, I've been busy lately so I didn't have the chance to contact you."
Yang Liu's thick lips curved slightly when he heard his friend's worries. He wasn't smirking or sneering, but he was sincerely smiling knowing how his best friend cared about him so much. His best friend was so sincere without hoping for anything in return. He could feel the sincerity and he felt safe because of that.
"I'm doing well," the vampire finally gave a short answer. Just a short answer, but his tone was not as cold as when he was speaking at school. Undeniably, the man on the other end of the phone had a special spot in his heart.
"Always said you're doing well. You have no other answers for me?" The man on the other end of the phone grumbled a little irritatedly. Maybe he was tired of hearing Yang Liu always gave him the same answer as that.
Yang Liu was like a robot that had been programmed in such a way that the answers given were always the same. He knew Yang Liu a long time ago, but sometimes he couldn't read Yang Liu's heart and mind. There were so many secrets inside the vampire's heart, but he always pretending to be okay all the time.
"How is your school? Do you have any trouble with your studies? You can always ask me if you find trouble, I also study in a science school after all," The man kindly asked the vampire. "Anyway, I heard that next week your school will hold a school festival, huh?"
Yang Liu didn't seem to be bothered by the number of questions that were thrown at him. He was used to that.
"No, I didn't have any trouble with my studies, and yes, our school festival will be held next week," he calmly answered.
"THE PRODIGY will also perform at the festival, right? Too bad that I can't come. I have a mock test on that day."
Yang Liu smiled a little imagining how his friend must be feeling so annoyed right now. "You have a mock test on Saturday?" He asked at the end.
His best friend sighed before answering, "You know how annoying my school is." He laughed dryly, laughing at his school which had always been implementing a strict schedule. They didn't even let the students had a proper rest on weekend.
The black-haired youth smiled. He still remembered how his best friend forced him to apply to the same school as him six months ago, but he rejected the pleading and chose the all-male school instead. The school was a private school and the tuition was not cheap, but the vampire got a scholarship since he got the highest score on the entrance exam. At least, he didn't have to burden his best friend to pay for his tuition.
"Anyway, it will be full moon night soon."
Yang Liu was silent after he heard his best friend's sentence. That was right, it didn't feel like the full moon would soon return to greet the Earth. A full moon looked beautiful in the eyes of others, but always looked scary in Yang Liu's eyes.
"I'll come to your place when the full moon occurs. Don't go anywhere, okay?" The man asked softly.
Yang Liu sighed, his left hand massaged his temple as he replied, "I didn't usually go anywhere on that night. I'm not stupid, I know it's dangerous for me."
"It's good that you understand," The other man responded. "Ah, I need to do my homework, Yang Liu. You better get some rest. I'll call you again tomorrow. Good night."
"Yes, good night."
And the phone line was cut off after a few minutes Yang Liu chatted with someone on the phone. The pale-skinned man put his cell phone on the nightstand, then laid his slender body on the bed.
He was very troublesome for his friend. For more than a year, he had relied heavily on the angel-hearted figure. He couldn't even count the money that had been spent by that man and his parents to provide a comfortable living for him in Beijing. His own parents didn't even care about him and heartlessly kicked him out without giving him money.
If his best friend wasn't there for him since the beginning, maybe Yang Liu would choose to commit suicide since long time ago. He was so depressed back then. He could only cry and cursed his bad luck, but his best friend came to him and hugged him, whispering encouraging words to his ear that gradually made him feel better. After that depressing moment, he depended on his best friend so much.
His best friend knew his true identity, but he was still willing to accept him with open hands. Even his parents couldn't accept him, but his best friend was very kind despite not being related by blood. Moreover, he was also very dependent on his best friend when the full moon occurred. If his friend was not there, he didn't know what to do on that cursed night.
Other than that cursed night, Yang Liu could live a normal life. In Yang Liu's dictionary, normal meant living well by relying on animal blood for daily consumption. His appearance was also normal resembling a human, but the whole routine didn't work the same on the night of the full moon. There was a drastic change in his body when the moon was perfectly round. The power of the moon was too great, turning Yang Liu into another figure with different needs.
On nights like that, Yang Liu relied heavily on his friend. Ah, thinking about that made him feel so bad. He had been very troublesome all the time. His best friend never complained to him, but his heart still felt uneasy and uncomfortable.
He relied too much on his friend and that was not good. His friend didn't have to pay the tuition for him, but he still gave him money for his daily needs and he couldn't reject that kindness. His best friend came from a loaded family, but he shouldn't take advantage of that situation.
He should be able to be independent, at least be able to support himself so that he stopped depending on his friend financially. The young vampire suddenly got back up and sat on the edge of the bed. Yes, he should be able to support himself. Yes, he had to find a part-time job to be able to do it. Everything started difficult[1], but he still had to try.
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Footnote:
[1] Everything started difficult: from Chinese sayings "Wànshì kāitóu nán" that means "All things are difficult at the start."