WinYang School

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng had never really been put in a position where he was taking care of someone else out of his own accord. When he and Yangyang first crossed paths, everything that was unfathomable and unbearable to Sicheng normally seemed to happen to him, even with the way they officially cleared the air and started their relationship. Sicheng felt a bounce in his step as he walked with Yangyang in tow towards the airport exit. "Ah-?" he answered, his heart fluttering (and rightfully so) when Yangyang addressed him so endearingly. Sicheng chuckled lightly and he nodded his head with a soft and permissive smile on his face, "I'll make sure you feel that way for a long, long time."

@Dong Sicheng Taking Yangyang's luggage was a very good start. Pleased, Yangyang wheeled his luggage back and and pushed the handle into Sicheng's hand. "To your place?" Yangyang confirmed, since his own lease for the term had ended. Sicheng had really thought of everything. Attached, overwhelmed, Yangyang wrapped himself around Sicheng's free arm, hugging it tight to his chest. Everything felt right, and Yangyang no longer dreaded the days ahead of him. "Cheng-ge," he called suddenly, once the reached the exit doors. He didn't actually have anything to say, so when Sicheng looked over, Yangyang smiled—genuinely and wide. "I want to stay with you for a long time."

@Liu Yangyang Yangyang said it first. He loved Sicheng. The feeling of worry and heartache in Sicheng's chest dissipated at the tail of those three words, and he smiled back, declaring intently as well, "I love you, Liu Yangyang." He let Yangyang wipe at his face, but ultimately pulled the younger in for another hug. "If you'll stay...then let me help you take your luggage back." Sicheng suggested. For now, he'd just bring Yangyang back to his apartment. Sicheng held his hand out for Yangyang to take. "Come on, let's go home together," he said, cracking a sweet smile at his new boyfriend.

@Dong Sicheng Yangyang didn't struggle at all. He leaned into the kiss, his hands cupping Sicheng's face delicately as he kissed him back. A hot tear slid down Yangyang's cheek, and he pulled away to wipe at it before Sicheng could see it, even if it was obvious what he was doing. For once, he was speechless, unable to think of a single teasing or degrading word for the older. "I love you," he heard himself mumble through a sniffle. He bunched the end of his sleeves up, hiding his hands inside them. "I'm going to stay, too."

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng felt his entire being go limp when Yangyang finally returned his hug. He didn't know if he'd actually make it on time to the airport, nor did he think he'd have enough luck to actually see Yangyang face to face when he did. To think that he got to confess and get the younger to agree to be his boyfriend...Sicheng could hardly believe the miracle that he had created himself. "I'm going to stay," he promised, hugging Yangyang back so tightly that not even air would be able to slip through them. His brashness flared again and he cupped Yangyang's cheek, drawing the younger in for a emotional and frenzied kiss on his lips.

@Dong Sicheng Right. Yangyang had been avoiding answering Sicheng's question ever since that day, weeks ago. He didn't answer to tease Sicheng, and then he didn't answer to avoid him, and then he never got the chance to answer again. It felt like a fever dream to hear Sicheng plead with him to stay. And although this wasn't exactly the scene Yangyang envisioned when he finally said yes, he nodded mutely, not trusting his throat enough to speak. He wrapped his arms around Sicheng again, burying his face against the older's neck. If Sicheng would have him, Yangyang didn't want to let go, either. Sicheng was the last person Yangyang thought he'd ever have anything to do with, but somehow, slowly, he had become engraved in Yangyang's heart. "Yes..." he finally uttered weakly, his voice hoarse. "So you're going to stay?"

@Liu Yangyang "En, really," Sicheng answered resolutely, even smiling through the difficult decision he made when he saw the sincerity in Yangyang's eyes. "I can make my dream come true in many different ways. There's many other acting guilds out there. There is only one chance I have to be with you though." Sicheng said, every word genuine and heartfelt as he gazed down upon the younger. "I guess I never really followed up on the question ever since that day we went out for pasta. There's no time like now," Sicheng professed, "Please don't leave me. Give me a chance. Will you be my boyfriend, Yangyang?"

@Dong Sicheng If Sicheng was telling the truth, then if Yangyang had listened that day, then he would have heard Sicheng's decision. Unless! Unless it was a lie and Sicheng only came up with this excuse now to keep Yangyang from leaving. Either way, Yangyang wanted to believe it. "Really?" he whispered, a fresh wave of tears welling up in his eyes. He hesitated for a split second before letting go of his luggage and throwing his arms around Sicheng, sinking against the older. He got what he wanted, but his heart was still empty and threatening to claw its way up Yangyang's throat. "But— but your dream..."

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng could feel the resistance dying down in Yangyang when he finally announced his decision. Yangyang didn't seem like he was going to dash off any moment now, and so Sicheng didn't tighten his grip as the younger palmed at his tears. Instead, he stepped in close and pulled Yangyang against his chest by the nape of his neck, and he held him tight. "There was only one reason that I wanted to stay back in Korea for," he said, pulling back just enough so he could cup Yangyang's face and look him in the eyes. "It's because of you. I don't know why you started ignoring me, but I made the decision to stay behind since they day I went to pick you up from your finals..." Sicheng leaned in, pressing his forehead to Yangyang's boldly, "Don't cry...I don't want you to feel sad. I made this decision all on my own accord..."

@Dong Sicheng Yangyang blinked. He wasn't sure if he had heard Sicheng correctly. He turned it down? It had to be some atrocious lie to get Yangyang to shut up for a moment, and to continue falling for Sicheng's lies. Yangyang's vision blurred. He hadn't even realized he had been crying. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, wiping them clear with one scrub. "Why?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Fighting Sicheng was tiring when Yangyang, over months, had gotten used to being held and coddled quietly by Sicheng. "I... I didn't mean to," he admitted in a whisper. "I actually... don't want you to let go of your dream. But I don't want you to go, either."

@Liu Yangyang "Wait," Sicheng said, stumbling backwards when Yangyang decided to get physical first. He didn't even finish speaking! Had Yangyang always been so temperamental towards him like this after they made amends between them? Sicheng was still a little taken aback by how curt the responses were, and the level of fury that was directed towards him. But what he needed to say had yet to be said, and so he persisted again, reaching out to grab Yangyang by the wrist and drag him in close. "/Listen/," he demanded, "locking gazes with Yangyang, keeping him pressed flush against his chest. In his firmest voice, Sicheng confessed, "I turned it down."

@Dong Sicheng "Huh? You don't care? Well, I don't care that you don't care. Let go or I'll scream." Yangyang gathered his breath to make a scene, but when Sicheng confessed what Yangyang had known all along, it angered him into silence, his yell caught in the back of his throat. So Sicheng had come all this way to properly break up with Yangyang. Yangyang wasn't going to give him that pleasure. In the back of his mind, it all seemed like an overreaction on Yangyang's part—he could have just accepted Sicheng's decision with grace and they could have parted amicably, but the day Dejun told him Sicheng was accepted into the drama academy, Yangyang felt as if his life had fallen apart, as dramatic as that sounded. He had never liked someone so intensely, and Sicheng just took all his feelings for granted instead. "I know," Yangyang said coldly. "I know everything. And I don't want a part in it. So you go to China, I'll go home, and let's not see each other again." He took Sicheng's hand and flung it back toward the older's chest before picking up his luggage to walk again. "Goodbye."

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng really didn't get what was going on through Yangyang's mind after all this time. What did the younger think that he was going to say to him, for him to avoid Sicheng to this level? Even though it was not within Sicheng's nature to put up a struggle when his opposition wanted nothing to do with him, but that was a rare case to begin with and now that it was Yangyang who he was trying to reach out to, he couldn't just back down and let the plane separate them forever. "I don't care. You have to talk to me," he said, standing firm and reaching out to grab onto the sides of Yangyang's trolley. "After I say this...if you want to go, then go. But there's something you must know." Sicheng said, breathing in deeply before he confessed loudly to Yangyang, "The week before you started ignoring me...I got a letter of acceptance to the acting guild in the Beijing Central Academy of Drama. It was supposed to be a contract that included extra classes not offered here, and then a direct route into the theater acting industry as a rookie actor." Sicheng's words hung in the mid-air as he looked at Yangyang's reaction. Seeing none, he continued, "I wanted to share that with you, but you started avoiding me right after that."

@Dong Sicheng Yangyang thought he was imagining Sicheng's voice because he missed the older so much. He continued to swing his feet casually, until a pair of feet appeared in his view. Yangyang stared at them. Sicheng's voice sounded too close, too real to be a hallucination. Without looking up, he stood and began to push his trolley of luggage away. He didn't know what Sicheng wanted, but there was no way it could be anything good. After all, Sicheng got what he wanted. He hurt Yangyang back in retaliation for all that Yangyang had done to him, and now he had come all the way to the airport to gloat one more time. Yangyang fought back tears when he heard Sicheng's footsteps close behind him. "I'm gonna run you over with this if you don't leave me alone," he said, his voice thick and congested. "Go away. I don't want to talk to you."

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng could hardly believe his eyes when he looked into the distance to find none other than Yangyang sitting right there, looking as unbothered as the day Sicheng first met him. Well, maybe the only difference was that Sicheng had never seen the younger's head hung low. He didn't run, nor scream out at the older, not wanting to startle Yangyang. It wasn't until he was only a few paces away from the younger that his feet stopped where they were. He would be respectful. He would tell Yangyang what he had been meaning to tell him, and then whatever misunderstanding Yangyang had towards him, Sicheng would also address it head-on. "Yangyang," he called out, his voice hoarse as the feelings of finally seeing the younger after such a long period of separation kicked in, "Don't leave yet. Let's have a talk," Sicheng called out, trying to keep his cool.

@Dong Sicheng He didn't know why Sicheng was still haunting him like this. It was extremely difficult to ignore the pounding at his door—he wanted to give in and demand an explanation from Sicheng, maybe even beg him not to go, but there was something that stopped him. His pride, probably. It didn't matter, anyway. Sicheng was only a blip in Yangyang's life. He was going to move on, and he was going to find better.

Since Yangyang didn't plan on leaving so early in the first place, he had a separate ticket from his family. He was too early to check in, though, having escaped his dorm early in the morning in case he bumped into Sicheng on the way out. He sat on the bench in front of the check in counter, kicking his feet back and forth as he brought out his phone. He had blocked Sicheng a while ago, but he unblocked him now. He wanted to send Sicheng a message, but what? What else could he possibly have left to say without throwing all his pride out the window for a man who didn't even like him as much as he pretended to? Yangyang put his phone away, lowering his head when a piercing pain struck his heart and spread through his entire being in one heated flash. He missed Sicheng—loved him—more than he wanted to admit.

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng had not been able to get a word in yet - what exactly did Yangyang know? He didn't fully register all the curses that were being thrown his way. Not even the slap to his cheek was painful enough to register. The only thing that he saw was the hatred in Yangyang's stare, and Sicheng's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. What had the younger seen or heard to make him so resolute in parting ways? Sicheng opened his mouth to speak, but Yangyang beat him to the punch, threatening him in such a way that Sicheng felt like tearing up on the spot. He watched, absolutely astounded, as Yangyang said his bit and stormed away.

When Sicheng finally recovered himself, his first thought was to call and text Yangyang. There had to be a way to get through to the younger. To his absolute dismay, Yangyang had blocked his number! Sicheng frantically tried to find the younger in his apartment that evening, but the lights had been turned off, and no matter how long Sicheng knocked, Yangyang didn't come to the door. Bewildered, Sicheng could only wonder what caused Yangyang to change 180 towards him.

It took a lot of pleading for him to get word from Joohyuk, who got it from Dejun, that Yangyang was planning to head back to Germany with his family just a few days after the term ended. Sicheng could only place his best bets on finding the other at the airport, so he headed there the day that he knew Yangyang was leaving, weaving his way through the large crowds in hopes of catching a glimpse of Yangyang.

@Dong Sicheng Sicheng still thought Yangyang was stupidly clueless. How long did he think he could drag his cruel prank on for? Yangyang fully intended on ignoring Sicheng, but the force that his wrist was grabbed at nearly flung him against the older. He was quick to strike, yanking his hand out of Sicheng's and reeling it back to deliver a sharp slap to Sicheng's cheek. "You're such a scumbag," he said. His voice shook, and he tightened his chest in a pathetic attempt to keep his words steady. "You don't need to pretend to care anymore. I know everything." When Dejun first told Yangyang the news, Yangyang had come up with a million curses for Sicheng. Now, standing in front of Sicheng, all of those words jammed in his throat. "If you talk to me again, I'll— I'll..." In the end, Yangyang wasn't able to follow through with his threat. It was extremely embarrassing. He gave Sicheng one more ferocious glare—hopefully, Sicheng would ingrain it into his mind—and stormed off without finishing his words, intent on never seeing Sicheng again.

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng was absolutely confused by the reaction that Yangyang gave him, as if he had met a stranger, or worse. It was like Yangyang had reverted back to the hatred that he harbored for Sicheng when they first met, like there was a misunderstanding of sorts between them. Before the younger could disappear into the crowd, Sicheng hurried through the crowd to catch up with him. "Hey!" he called out, feeling embarrassed that he was out here trying to get someone's attention. The Dong Sicheng in the past would've avoided using his voice at all cost if it meant he could slip by unnoticed by others. "Yangyang, where are you going?" he asked, seeing how resolutely the other walked away. Had Sicheng done something wrong? Or did Yangyang need to rush somewhere? All of these thoughts obscured his mind, which made his own confidence falter too. "Wait up!" he gasped, finally falling a few paces behind Yangyang. Sicheng reached out to grab at Yangyang's wrist, stopping him mid-walk, and pulling him backwards towards him.

@Dong Sicheng Yangyang wanted to walk right next door to Sicheng's and stab that man once he put two and two together, one fine evening just weeks before the summer break. Dejun's words echoed in his mind: 'Are you going with him to China'?

'For the vacation?' Yangyang had asked, stupidly.

He was a fool for not realizing Sicheng had been playing him all along. Of course, with how he treated Sicheng, it was naive of him to expect anything more than cold, hard, calculate revenge. Lucky for that Dong Sicheng, Dejun convinced Yangyang to think it over. And so, think it over Yangyang did. He intended to stay in Korea over the break to spend it with Sicheng, but now that the situation changed so drastically, he would go back to Germany with his family, far from that piece of trash Sicheng. By the time he returned for a new semester of school, Sicheng would be long gone, and Yangyang wouldn't have to see him again.

Unfortunately for him, he could only avoid Sicheng for so long. At the end of the week, he found Sicheng waiting for him after class, as usual. This time, instead of an embrace, Yangyang greeted him with a cold stare before moving with the throng of students leaving the lecture hall, turning away from Sicheng without a second glance back.

@Liu Yangyang A few days after receiving his acceptance letter from The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, Sicheng decided that it was too big of a decision to make on his own. He needed Joohyuk's sage advice to help him figure out what his next move was. Sicheng would have to make a big change in his life if he decided to return to China after so many years of studying abroad in Korea, which made the transition feel abrupt and uncertain for him. Having Joohyuk to counsel him was rather useful though, and the one reason that kept him from accepting the offer above all else...was that Yangyang was still here. Yangyang was still a Freshman, and that meant he wouldn't be able to go with Sicheng to Beijing. Joohyuk seemed to latch onto that fact pretty quickly for Sicheng, as much as Sicheng himself failed to see what he truly wanted.

A few days later, with his big decision having been made, Sicheng made a point to see Yangyang after classes again so he could tell the younger the news in person. He waited outside Yangyang's class, taking deep breaths to calm himself. It was a huge decision he'd made, and he hoped that he wouldn't falter when he explained himself to Yangyang.

@Dong Sicheng "Wow, Joohyuk hyung is smart," Yangyang agreed. 'That's right, I went out with Dong Sicheng. He's definitely not as smart as Joohyuk hyung—maybe even dumb in comparison, really. He tried to ask me to be his boyfriend twice today, but both times it couldn't get more casual. First, it was while we were waiting for dinner. Then, it was when I was super tired and just got back to his place to sit down. Doesn't he know anything about planning in advance? You know what? Can you tell Joohyuk hyung he needs to drop some hints and give advice to Sicheng about asking me out properly?" With that, Yangyang decided his answer was going to be a solid 'no' until Sicheng did it properly!

@Liu Yangyang When Yangyang finished up his work and went home to shower before returning, Sicheng also took a quick shower and opened his laptop to check if he had any assignments to grade or emails to respond to. As he sat in the dark corner of his living room and scrolled through his email, a special header caught his eye. Sicheng clicked on it, and as he read more and more of the email, his eyes bulged and a huge grin emerged on his face. "Dong Sicheng, we are happy to offer you a contract as a musical performance trainee under The Central Academy of Drama in Beijing, China. Attached is your letter of acceptance..." Sicheng wasn't the expressive type unless he was on stage, but he felt like he was in the show of his lifetime right now. His jaw was agape and his heart raced wildly. Acting! In the best acting academy of China? He'd have to...go back to China?

Meanwhile, Dejun was all too excited to share the details of his date with Yangyang. "It was amazing!" he moaned, reminiscing the way his boyfriend had protected him and looked after him from the moment he picked Dejun up at the school campus and then took him stargazing in the outskirts of Seoul. "It's so romantic!" he exclaimed "Did you know that Joohyuk-hyung can read constellations? He told me stories about how they came to be! And we held hands the entire time! His voice is deep...and he hugged me so I wouldn't get warm...hahhh..." And of course, being the best friend that he was, he couldn't /not/ ask Yangyang the question in return! "How about you? You went out with that Dong Sicheng after classes too right?"

@Dong Sicheng "Like... around ten?" Yangyang opened the file on his latest project, picking up on where he last left off. "There's no specific number, but I think ten is good. But I'm constantly creating, just in case something better comes up." He worked for a little while longer, with Sicheng beside him, until Sicheng brought up his shower. Of course, they were not at the stage of showing at each other's places yet. Yangyang was ready, but Sicheng was probably a prude—that's why he was asking Yangyang. "Okay," he said, stowing his iPad away. "I'll shower and come back."

He hadn't expected Dejun back so early, but there his friend was. Dejun said he was going to drop by to borrow a top from Yangyang, but Yangyang wasn't going to complain. "Oh, you're here!" Yangyang chirped. "Did you have a good date?"

@Liu Yangyang Once again, expect Yangyang to pull the unexpected on him. Sicheng wordlessly got up to grab the younger's iPad from his bag, then settled back on the couch for Yangyang to cuddle up against him again. "How many designs are you required to have in your portfolio?" he asked, moving on from asking the other his pressing question again, since Yangyang didn't deem it a good time yet. Sicheng didn't mind just sitting there and watching. Or not watch. He would also be perfectly fine with laying down and letting Yangyang get his work done uninterruped. "Are you gonna stay over tonight? You should go home and shower, then come back...before it gets too late," he murmured.

@Dong Sicheng Home, sweet home. Once Yangyang kicked off his shoes at the front of the apartment, he jumped onto the couch, waiting for Sicheng. When the older joined him, he took a big gulp of water, set it down, and cuddled up to Sicheng's side. Sicheng smelled good—warm and comforting. Yangyang didn't think he'd be able to get enough. "Of course it is," he said, picking up the remote to the television and beginning to flick through the channels. Sicheng was hardly the romantic type, so Yangyang couldn't exactly blame him, but if Sicheng was going to be his boyfriend, Yangyang had to whip him into shape. "Can you get my iPad? I want to work on some designs."

@Liu Yangyang Yangyang was playing with words, Sicheng realized over dinner. There wasn't as much conversation as there usually was during their actual meal, though Sicheng did wonder if Yangyang was thinking about his proposal as much as he was. Perhaps that meant he had to ask again, at a time that /wasn't/ pre-dinner. After they ate and he paid, Sicheng looked at Yangyang, searching the younger's face for a sign that it was the right time to ask again. It didn't seem like now was the time. And since Yangyang suggested that they go back to his place, Sicheng could only take it as a sign that he'd ask again there. Upon arriving back to his apartment, Yangyang got comfortable on his couch on his own while Sicheng went to grab them some waters. When he returned, he sat on the couch next to Yangyang, handing over a glass of water. "About my question earlier..." he said, a little shy to breach the topic openly again, "Is it still too casual now?"

@Dong Sicheng "Right now? So you're going to make me accept it later? Is that what you're saying?" Yangyang's smirk deepened, but he didn't say anything to correct Sicheng. Sicheng would just have to think of the solution to that on his own—Yangyang was in no rush. He dug into the pizza as soon as it arrived, not at all bothered by the question that was still hanging in the air. They ate without touching much on the topic again, although Yangyang did wonder if Sicheng would bring it up before the night was over. "So full," Yangyang announced, leaning back in his seat. "Let's hang out at your place."

@Liu Yangyang Sicheng balked at Yangyang's question in return. Was it...a bad thing to ask for the younger to be his boyfriend while they were waiting on their dinner? SIcheng's immediate reaction was to take back what he said, and so he quickly stammered, "I mean...you don't have to accept it...right now," he said, feeling his hands get clammy and the corners of his lips start to twitch uncomfortably. Well, he supposed with Yangyang, he could never expect anything to just 'happen easily'. Sicheng supposed that the question had been thrown out, and Yangyang had already given a response. It wasn't a "yes". "Nevermind...forget I asked," he said, his ears flushing pink from the embarrassment.

@Dong Sicheng Yangyang was baffled. Here? Boyfriend? Did he want to be Sicheng's boyfriend? He was sure he did—Dejun seemed to be having the time of his life now that he wasn't single anymore, and Yangyang wanted the same. He wanted to say yes, but there was just one thing holding him back. He managed to keep his cool, somehow, when he smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Dong Sicheng. Are you seriously asking me while we're waiting for food?" He crossed his arms, a devious grin lingering on his mouth. "This cannot get more casual."