During the Kabedon Scene:
Chen Yi wandered aimlessly through the empty hallways of the fourth floor, boredom weighing heavily on him. He had only agreed to his father's suggestion to attend college as a way to entertain himself, a decision made during a particularly dull period. But so far, it hadn't been entertaining in the slightest.
If Coffee were here, I wouldn't be this bored.
The familiar thought crept into his mind, plunging him once again into a wave of melancholy.
His first best friend. His first crush. His first love.
Chen Yi often felt their time together had been far too short. For three and a half years in high school, he'd stuck to Coffee like glue, convinced he might have had a chance—probably.
If he ignored his strongest rival, who had managed to steal Coffee's heart in the end, Chen Yi sometimes dared to think he could have won Coffee over. Maybe.
Frustrated, he ruffled his hair as the memory resurfaced—the one where his rival had peppered Coffee's cheeks with kisses. That should've been me.
He couldn't stop himself from daydreaming, replacing his rival in the scene. In his imagination, it was his lips brushing against Coffee's flushed cheeks, his arms wrapped around Coffee's familiar frame. The vividness of the fantasy made his face burn.
He had fallen too deep.
Three years had passed, but the feelings hadn't faded. Not even a little. The last time he'd seen Coffee, it had been in his rival's arms. And just like that, Coffee was gone, leaving without so much as a goodbye.
Chen Yi sighed heavily, desperate to focus on anything but his past—or Coffee.
And that was when he noticed someone—a guy in a gray cardigan over a black shirt and pants, peeking around the corner of the wall, holding his nose as if trying to stay out of sight.
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
Chen Yi walked up to him without a care in the world about getting caught. Yet the curly-haired, blonde boy didn't even notice him. Standing just behind him, Chen Yi tilted his head in wonder. What's so intriguing? He leaned forward, peeking with unfiltered curiosity.
Then, a smirk spread across his face. It was Young-Su—caught in the act of teasing his lover.
Chen Yi couldn't help but silently applaud his friend's nerve. Although most of the day students had already left and the night classes wouldn't begin for hours, there were still plenty of club members roaming the campus. A bold move, even for Young-Su.
He glanced back at the boy standing near him—his apparent partner-in-crime—and noticed him trembling, his breath coming in quick huffs. The boy looked ready to charge at the couple and interrupt the scene entirely.
Before he could act, Chen Yi moved instinctively, wrapping an arm around his waist to stop him. The warmth radiating from the boy's back seeped into Chen Yi's chest, melting a piece of the ice that had been there for far too long.
Chen Yi's trance broke when the boy turned around, and he found himself staring into a pair of shy emerald eyes framed by glasses. His heart jolted. He couldn't believe it. How could someone so adorable exist in this otherwise mundane university?
Perhaps... For the first time in three years, Chen Yi's cold heart skipped a beat. Perhaps he could help me forget.
In all the time since Chen Yi had left A City, he had tried everything to bury his feelings, erase the memories that haunted him, and find someone new to love.
Now, here he was, holding someone who just might be what he was looking for.
"Name?" Chen Yi asked softly, leaning in to speak directly into the boy's ear.
"W-w-wa?"
Oh my god. How cute!
"Name?" he repeated, more insistent this time.
The boy looked away, cheeks flushing. But Chen Yi wouldn't let him hide. He reached out, gently pinching his chin to make him meet his gaze again. The boy shivered under his touch, and Chen Yi's heart swelled.
Please tell me. Seriously.
"L-Ling Xie," the boy stammered.
Finally getting his answer, Chen Yi loosened his grip on Ling Xie's waist.
Feeling the "cage" unlock, Ling Xie bolted straight toward the computer lab without a second glance, leaving a stunned Chen Yi in his wake.
Snapping out of his daze, Chen Yi quickly gave chase, but Ling Xie managed to outmaneuver him. With an unexpected burst of agility, he snatched his phone and dashed away like the wind.
Watching his fleeting figure, Chen Yi burst into laughter. Too cute!
Inside, he was genuinely surprised by his own reaction. He couldn't remember the last time he had laughed so freely. It felt so foreign—and yet so refreshing—that tears pricked at the corners of his eyes.
"Ahem."
The sound of Young-Su fake-clearing his throat pulled Chen Yi out of his thoughts. His friend glared at him with mock grievance, his disrupted meal now completely forgotten thanks to Ling Xie and Chen Yi's antics.
Young-Su glanced at his lover, Eun-Tak, and, sure enough, found him glaring back, his cheeks puffed up and his eyes were full of accusation. Young-Su sighed, resigned, and reached out to pat his lover's head gently in apology.
"Oh, don't mind me," Chen Yi said carelessly, waving a hand. "Continue, continue~." He turned and walked off, a faint but genuine smile tugging at his lips.
Young-Su narrowed his eyes at Chen Yi's retreating back, already plotting his revenge. Work him to death. That was the plan. There was no way he'd let Chen Yi get away with interrupting his moment so easily.
When Chen Yi left the school that day, he carried a sugary-sweet aftertaste in his heart. Even hours later, as he lay in bed, that feeling hadn't faded.
Instead, the scene from earlier—Ling Xie's flushed face, his panicked retreat, the stolen phone—replayed like a broken record in Chen Yi's mind.
Ahhh, I want him.
With that thought, Chen Yi flopped onto his bed, burying his face in the sheets as laughter bubbled up again. He felt more alive than he had in years, repeating Ling Xie's name in his head like a mantra.
Finally, he turned over to stare at the ceiling. Raising his left hand, he looked at the bracelet on his wrist.
It was silver, with a small tag engraved with "C.C. Forever."
The bracelet had been a token of friendship—a matching pair he and Coffee had worn. Back then, Chen Yi had pestered Coffee until he finally agreed to put it on.
A sad smile spread across Chen Yi's face as the memory surfaced.
Coffee had never truly understood the full meaning of the bracelet. To him, it had been nothing more than a symbol of their friendship. But to Chen Yi, it had been so much more—a silent confession.
It was his way of saying "I like you" because he'd been too shy to say it out loud.
He slowly reached for the clasp of the bracelet, his fingers trembling with hesitation. He knew he had to let it go. He couldn't keep living in the past, clinging to something that no longer existed.
When Ling Xie's face flashed in his mind, the last thread of reluctance dissolved. Taking a deep breath, he unclasped the bracelet.
He held it in his palm for a moment, his gaze heavy with thought. Then, as if releasing a burden, he sighed—a soft but profound sound of relief.
Bringing the bracelet to his lips, he placed a gentle kiss on the cool silver, his eyes warm with a quiet tenderness. Finally, he tucked it away into a small red box in his bedside drawer, closing it with care.
That night, for the first time in a long while, his sleep was dreamless.