Hu Chuntian knitted his eyebrows "The hell, why would I—"
"Thank you, A-Tian! You're the best!" Mo Aini shouted for all the Theater Club members to hear, especially his sister. "Let's go now, it really hurts, huhu!"
Ma Jianyu nodded. "This way, just look for the drawer on the right. I could join you if you want."
"No need, A-Tian would be enough. Aren't you suppose to help Mo Jiagei oversee the audition? There's still people who haven't performed yet."
"Alright, then. Though it pains me to do so, I entrust my dear friend to you." Ma Jianyu said to Hu Chuntian. "You better take good care of him!"
With all the people looking at him and expecting him to help the 'injured' Mo Aini, Hu Chuntian eventually gave in and carried him backstage, growling like a real angry tiger.
Once they are covered by the thick curtains in the dimly lit room, Hu Chuntian set him down violently!
"Ouch! That hurts!" Mo Aini complained, rubbing his back that got slammed to the wall.
"You stay put and not say anything nonsensical." Hu Chuntian glared at him. "I need to be there when I get announced as the leading role, I'll make this quick."
"How can you be so sure that you'll get the leading role anyway? A lot of the other performances were good." Mo Aini took off his stuffy blue face mask.
"Which one? They all sound like quacking chickens to me." Hu Chuntian sneered, finding the first aid kit on the drawers and sitting beside him.
"Chickens don't quack. Ducks do." Mo Aini corrected him.
"Whatever. So, what performance did you like? They're all lame compared to mine." Hu Chuntian asked.
"Hmm.... Well, Ma Jianyu could hit really high notes. His voice was elegantly charming too." Mo Aini said.
"Pfft, high notes don't matter. You could hit them through practice."
"You didn't deny about the charming part though. Charm is important, like Shu Chuanli."
Hu Chuntian raised an eyebrow. "That guy who ran out after the performance? He doesn't have the guts to stay on stage for long, especially with so many people."
"Then what about Gou Manchu? He had the most romantic voice of all the auditioners." Mo Aini recalled.
"There were no changes in his tone. It was boring and repetitively melodious the whole time."
"Then what about She Haoran? His voice was the most versatile of all. He can quickly adapt according to the feeling of the line—"
"Wait a minute." Hu Chuntian interrupted. "Didn't you say you like me? You talked about all these losers' performances, but never said anything about mine."
Mo Aini was suddenly stunned with how visibly irritated Hu Chuntian was when he said this, like it really affected him.
He grinned. "We're you jealous, A-Tian? I thought you said you don't like men."
"I was just confused why you suddenly focused on these other guys when you were so obsessed with me yesterday." Hu Chuntian scoffed. "You said you can't live without me. That I am your world. Do you have other worlds now? Did you easily replaced me because of my rejection?"
Mo Aini tried not to laugh hysterically, but failed. "Hahaha, of course not!"
He giggled so hard he clutched his stomach. "You really thought, hahaha, you really thought I would change my mind that easily? I'm not that desperate! Hahaha!"
"Stop laughing, there's nothing funny about this." Hu Chuntian's face darkened.
"But there is!" Mo Aini stifled his laughing fit. "I was hugging your thigh and kneeling under the rain for you last night, yet you just kicked me away. But now you're getting jealous when you don't even like me! It's so hilarious!"
(Especially because I don't even like you, it's all one big misunderstanding!)
"I'm not jealous." Hu Chuntian denied.
"Yeah, yeah. Say you weren't. But you're still looking for my validation, weren't you?" Mo Aini smiled widely. "Did it hurt your pride that the guy who confessed to you yesterday didn't compliment you? Why do you care so much if I like other people's performances?"
"Because...." Hu Chuntian faltered, then said. "Because you have feelings for me, so it doesn't make sense."
"Yet you don't even reciprocate my feelings. What's the point? You don't own me or something." Mo Aini said. "I can't just have eyes for you forever. Eventually, I have to move on. I will move on. Do you even care about this?"
Hu Chuntian went quiet, not saying a word.
Mo Aini continued, staring at nowhere in particular. "You like my sister. But what if my sister doesn't like you back? What will you do?"
"That's impossible." Hu Chuntian said.
"You should do something about that big head of yours. You might get disappointed in the end." Mo Aini sighed. "Like me, who got ruthlessly rejected. I don't know what these guys see in my sister anyway. "
Actually, he does. They were programmed to like her. This is just an otome game, but it's so realistic that one tends to forget.
Mo Aini continued his method acting*. "It feels frustrating, everything seems to revolve around her. It's like she's the main character, and I'm just someone from the sidelines. Why can't I be the main character? Why can't I be beloved?"
In a way, this was his true feelings.
"My parents say they love us equally, but that's bullshit." Mo Aini smiled helplessly. "I love my sister. I really do. But ever since I failed in life, and I pursued my passion that they don't agree with, they cut me off. Put all their hopes and trust on my younger sister, encouraging her not to grow up like me one day."
"It's not just our family, you know. She has more friends, more people that like her, and adore her. I have friends, but it felt like they were just.... there. They pitied me that's why they added me to their group. Ma Jianyu once asked me if I know anything about love, that if I agreed that love was cruel. I should have told him I don't know anything about love...."
"But I do know a lot about its cruelty, and how it had been cruel enough for me to never receive it."
Mo Aini finished with an ironic smile, not even knowing why he said all these things to Hu Chuntian.
Hu Chuntian listened to all of it, respectfully keeping quiet. Mo Aini wanted to laugh again. It felt like he was opening up to Hu Chuntian, the guy who might be the cause of his death.
Hu Chuntian then suddenly asked. "Why do you like me?"
Mo Aini scrunched up his eyebrows. "Don't you find yourself likable? You probably like yourself more than anyone else. Well, maybe except for my sister."
"Just answer the question." Hu Chuntian insisted. "Why do you like me?"
"I don't know...." Mo Aini shrugged. "Should there be a reason to like someone?"
(I didn't even like you in the first place, but if I did....)
"Your voice sounds nice. When you're not screaming or speaking in a mocking tone, it sounds soothing. Like a lullaby, I never get tired of hearing it." Mo Aini said. "Your hair looks like it would be soft to touch, and I would like to pet it."
Hu Chuntian didn't show any reaction from his face, and just stared at him. He raised his hand. Mo Aini thought he was going to punch or slap him....
.....but Hu Chuntian just brought Mo Aini's hand at the top of his head!
"Touch it then. See if it really was soft like you imagined. " Hu Chuntian said.
(Bro, you're letting me touch your hair!? I thought you don't like me!)
But Hu Chuntian's hair really was incredibly soft. He enjoyed running his fingers on it and when he brought them close to his face, he could smell a faint scent...
The smell of cherry blossoms.
He chuckled. Hu Chuntian narrowed his eyes. "Why are you laughing again?"
"Did you know you smell like cherry blossoms? It doesn't suit you, yet somehow it does. Such a bad boy like you having a nice gentle scent, who would have thought?"
Hu Chuntian shoved his hand away. "Let's stop this. Is your foot not hurting anymore? You were whining like a bitch earlier, yet you're in the mood to tease and laugh."
"Ah, that. " Mo Aini remembered, then gave a cheeky grin. "I was lying earlier, I didn't really sprain my ankle. I wanted my sister to see you save me."
"You!" Hu Chuntian slammed him to the wall, blue eyes piercing daggers at him. "Why do you always do this to me?"
"Do what?" Mo Aini smiled innocently.
"I don't like being played. Why are you being so.... so.... difficult!?" He gritted his teeth. "I don't know what to feel about you anymore, you change like the wind! How do I know you're not just using me to make your sister jealous and your feelings aren't real?"
Mo Aini thought: (Well, you were right about the feelings not being real, but it's not to make my sister jealous. Though how would she react if her favorite LI gets involved with a guy?)
He caught a silhouette of a high ponytail peeking through the curtains, and smirked.
"Then let me show you my true feelings." Mo Aini smirked at Hu Chuntian....
And kissed him.
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Read The Mafia Boys' Contract Marriage which is joining WPC right now XD
I know it's shameless of me to advertise like this but I'm desperate :)))) Plus it'll be a pretty fun book, I guarantee you.
If you're a fan of mafia, criminal investigations and detective stories, please check it out and support it.
PS: It will also be a whole lot more spicier than any of my books so far cough cough How much spice? You'll see.