Chapter 11

It is not alright.

"Wait, Chang'e!" Hou Yi calls after her, running down the school halls with no hall pass.

It is not alright because Hou Yi refuses to acknowledge what he did. 'After all we've been through,' Chang'e thinks spitefully, 'he could at least tell me.'

"Excuse me, young lady," a teacher stops her from walking, "Hall pass?" Chang'e lifts up the pass in her hand, and the teacher gives her an approving nod.

"And you, young man?" Hou Yi looks down with nothing to say. "Since this is your first time, I'll let you off the hook. Get back to class," the teacher sighs, recognizing the star student.

"But, ma'am, I need to—"

"Uh-uh-uh. Back in class. Now."

Chang'e can see his pleading eyes staring at her, but she pays it no mind, walking forward without looking back.

And that's not the first time he's tried to tell Chang'e it wasn't him. It's happened in hallways, classrooms, in the gym, and even at Naicha! 'He's gone too far this time,' Chang'e thinks.

She heads back to class after a few minutes, sliding into her seat beside Hou Yi. 'Oh, how I never hated this seat more than I do now.'

She spies a note on her table, but she crumples it without a second thought. Hou Yi looks absolutely crushed by that, but she's seen that far too many times to know that one of his hidden talents is being an actor.

One more note. Crunch. Another. Crunch. And another. Crunch. Another note slipped to her desk again, and at this point, Chang'e is so fed up that she just opens it and reads.

> Can we please talk?

< No. Don't ever talk to me again.

She sends the message back to Hou Yi who smiles at her for the first time in a while, but then he reads her reply and turns away from her.

"Chang'e," Hou Yi whispers, still not facing her, "If that's what you really want—"

"It's what I really want," she replies coldly. At that, Hou Yi doesn't talk back. 'Silence at last,' Chang'e thinks.

Not a single word is uttered to each other after that. Not even if they bump into each other in the hallways or fight for recitation in class. Everyone seems to notice the change in Chang'e and Hou Yi's dynamic by now. 'Put them together in a room and you could freeze to death from their sheer auras alone,' the school's newspaper reads. Feng Mei swears she didn't write it.

But one day, Chang'e guesses Hou Yi had decided it's enough because here she is, cornered to the wall and forced to listen to what he has to say.

"I'm sorry for cornering you like this, but I miss our rivalry and honestly, this has to stop. I can't take the blame for something I didn't do," Hou Yi apologizes, but his hands are still on the sides of her head, and she's still in between the wall and his chest.

"Make it quick," Chang'e scowls.

"Chang'e, I really didn't do it. I haven't even seen your painting," he tries to explain, "What if Feng Mei saw wrong? That it wasn't me but some other man?"

"Pfft, yeah. As if."

"I'm not the saboteur," he repeats, "I want to hang out with you, talk to you, I wanna do all the things we used to do together. Please, Chang'e."

"Prove it then," Chang'e challenges, "But with what evidence? Feng Mei says the principal wouldn't make a big deal out of this."

"Chang'e, look. I can ask someone to let us see the CCTV footage."

"Hmph."

"Just.. meet me after school by Naicha, okay?" Hou Yi asks, ruffling his hair with one hand. Strangely enough, Chang'e doesn't feel like bolting away the moment there's an opening.

"Okay," she concedes.

"Thank you," Hou Yi responds, hugging her so tight like they're long lost lovers.

"Don't—Stop that. We're not buddies."

"Right. Sorry," Hou Yi lets go of her and so does the warmth at which Chang'e shivers slightly. She watches as he walks away, still sad, but happier. 'If Hou Yi wasn't really the culprit, then who is?' Chang'e contemplated worriedly. 'What if I was in the wrong the whole time? What if Feng Mei did see wrong?'

She opens her phone and swipes into Feng Mei's private messages.

< Feng, Hou Yi said he wants to talk to me at Naicha after school. Don't wait for me okay?

> What? No. Don't trust him. Stay away from him.

< He said something about CCTV footage. I just want to know if he really did it or not, because if he didn't do it.. Gosh, I can already feel the guilt in the back of my mind.

> Chang'e, don't go. What if he does something bad?

< I think a third party is gonna be there.

> Ok. Now they're just planning to gang up on you. I'll be there.

< Okay, Feng Mei. Thank you.

Chang'e exits the conversation, sliding into Hou Yi's private messages instead.

< Hou Yi?

> Yeah? What's up?

< Feng Mei wants to come too, if that's okay. And the evidence of sabotage is a jar. In case I forget later.

> Yeah, of course Feng Mei can come!

< Thanks.

She closes her phone, but it lights up again with a message from Hou Yi. 'Anytime,' it reads, before it switches to message deleted. 'Welcome,' is its replacement, hovering there over the ghost of the previous message.

"Anytime," she mutters, heading back to class.

Naicha. Brown sugar pearl milk tea, apricot peach fruit tea, matcha milk tea with pudding, and a strawberry charcoal cream. Chang'e, Hou Yi, Feng Mei, and someone Chang'e doesn't recognize are seated on white chairs. The lavender couches were all taken, unfortunately.

"I'm Nate," the person says, shaking her hand. That rings bells.

"Chang'e," she gives her name in return, "Son of the principal? Batchmate?"

"You got it!" Nate cheers before nudging Hou Yi, "I like her, man."

"Back off," Hou Yi whispers, but not soft enough because Chang'e still catches wind of what he had said. 'Ignorance is bliss,' she recites in her head, 'I didn't hear anything.'

Feng Mei clears her throat. "I'm Feng Mei. Nice to meet you, Nate."

"Oh, you! Your newspapers are great, by the way. I'm a big fan of your works. Personally, the rumor about teachers having a bet about these two becoming lovers sold me."

Hou Yi starts coughing, but Nate doesn't seem to notice the signal.

"Oh! And the fact that you said they're a good match because they didn't join in each other's most desired to win contests?" Nate fist-bumps Feng Mei, "You the best, bro!"

Hou Yi's still coughing, and some people give him looks. They must think Hou Yi has a really bad cough.

"Could I have your autograph?" Nate takes out a printed copy of the school's newspaper, "Right here, please." Nate hands her a pen, but quickly retracts it upon seeing that Feng Mei already has a pen of her own. She signs it neatly, adding a little heart at the end.

"Man, thank you! This is the work of the ages. I gotta hang this up in my bedroom—"

Hou Yi elbows Nate in the side this time. He's had enough trying to cough it into Nate, so Chang'e supposes he wants to hit it into Nate instead. Plus, people are starting to give him really bad looks.

"Okay, okay, sorry dude," Nate apologizes, sitting back down and taking a sip of his strawberry charcoal cream.

"The point," Hou Yi reminds.

"Mmhm," Nate raises a finger as if to say one moment. Hou Yi stares at him in disbelief as Nate keeps drinking.

Chang'e and Feng Mei sit in silence, and by now, everyone is just watching Nate quaff his drink.

"Yum." Burp. "Excuse me."

Chang'e tries to stifle her laughter, but when she sees Feng Mei's contorted face from trying to hold back her snickers, Chang'e bursts into laughter.

"I'm so sorry," she forces out in between her laughs, "That was impressive."

"Why, thank you," Nate replies, not minding the laughter one bit. He pretends to fix a bow tie on his imaginary suit. Feng Mei snickers even more, hiding her teeth behind her hand.

Hou Yi just smiles at Chang'e which makes her self-conscious, effectively stopping her laughter. "Ahem," she mumbles out, fixing her shirt and drinking her milktea, "CCTV?" Feng Mei tries to nod seriously, but she can't stop a few chuckles from escaping her lips.

"Right. Here's the thing," Nate leans in closer and everyone follows in an act of.. she doesn't know. "We're going to walk in there and ask my dad for the footage."

Silence. 'That's a bit anticlimactic,' Chang'e comments.

"And from the look on your faces," Nate continues, "You were hoping for some thrill and adventure."

"What? No," Hou Yi protests, "It's easier if we just—"

"Uh-uh. I get it, you guys. I do love myself some chase," Nate confesses, an understanding look on his face. 'For what? I have no idea.'

"Chase?" Feng Mei sputters in surprise.

"We'll be," he pauses for the dramatic effect. He doesn't continue until Hou Yi rolls his eyes and beats his fingers on the table, creating a drumroll. "Sneaking into the security room."

"What?! Can't we just ask—" Chang'e seriously questions Nate's thought process.

"It's okay, Chang'e. You can admit it. You want to be a spy for one day," Nate hushes, a finger up to her lips that is quickly pulled away by Hou Yi.

"Is this self-projection?" Feng Mei asks, raising an eyebrow at Nate who shakes his head rapidly. "No! Not at all! I could just tell by your faces."

"Uhuh," Chang'e sounds mindlessly as she finishes her drink, "So.. when will we do this?"

"Now," Nate announces with such determination and conviction that Chang'e nearly agrees with him until she rewinds and, "What?! Now?!"

"Yup! Grab your drinks, let's head out everybody," Nate shakes his empty drink before tossing it into the trash nearby. He takes Chang'e's empty one too, and disposes of it for her.

"Thanks." Then Hou Yi grabs Nate and whispers something to him. 'None of my business,' she shrugs.

"Whatever you say, lover boy."

"Keep it down, Nate!" scolds Hou Yi. Chang'e and Feng Mei share a look.

"Onward bound, everyone!" Nate opens the glass doors of Naicha. "To infinity, and beyond!" he quotes. They start walking to school, trudging up the slope road under the hot sun.

"Did you just quote Buzz?" Feng Mei stares at Nate in awe.

"Yes. He's my spirit animal," Nate replies, thumping his chest.

"Buzz is not an animal," Hou Yi states, turning around to look at Nate.

"My spirit.. toy," Nate corrects. Chang'e laughs and nearly trips, but she grabs onto Hou Yi's arm and he helps her up.

"You good?" Hou Yi's face is filled to the brim with concern.

"Yeah. Thanks," Chang'e mutters, letting go of his arm and wiping her sweaty hands. 'Nate and his spirit toy-animal Buzz,' she sighs.

"So what makes you think little guy Hou Yi over here did it?" questions Nate, looking at Feng Mei and Chang'e. Although it's more of her back since she's ahead of him.

"Ah, well.. Feng Mei said she saw Hou Yi enter the room," Chang'e explains, "And we thought Hou Yi had a pretty good reason to sabotage."

"Which is?" Hou Yi leads on, a bit hurt.

"To make my grades go down," she mumbles softly, staring at her feet. 'He might just be acting, he might just be acting,' she chants in her head, trying to ignore Hou Yi's sad gaze.

"What was that?" Nate calls out from behind, "I didn't quite get it, sorry."

"To make her grades go down. Or, I like to say with a bit of flourish, stage her academic downfall," Feng Mei answers for Chang'e.

"I like you! Flourish indeed," Nate remarks, winking at Feng Mei.

"We're here," announces Hou Yi, pushing open the doors of the school, "Lead the way, Boss Nate."

"Yes, man! That's my name." approves Nate, marching into the school with even more confidence than before, "Let's just walk unsuspecting to dad's office.

"Boss Nate?" Chang'e asks Hou Yi.

"It makes him more—" He's cut off by Feng Mei stepping in between them. "Willing to do things," he finishes from behind Feng Mei.

Feng Mei flashes Chang'e a 'you don't have to thank me' smile. Together, all three of them in a line, they follow Nate into the principal's office.

"Yooo, Miss Ann! What's up?" they hear Nate say from outside the room.

"Uh-oh," Hou Yi whispers, peeking into the room. Chang'e goes on top of his head, straining her neck to see Nate shuffle awkwardly.

"Nate, what is it this time?"

"So you see, my friend has witnessed a form of injustice," Nate starts to explain, but the secretary shakes her head. "Nate, if this is one of your ploys to get into the security room again—"

"No, no! It's real this time," Nate insists, "Come on in, guys."

Feng Mei walks right in, but when Hou Yi stands up, he forgets Chang'e is right above him and they crash into each other.

"Uhm," Nate calls out, "GUYS? You're not helping my case here!"

Feng Mei smiles awkwardly at Miss Ann. "Sorry, Secretary Miss Ann."

The secretary sighs in reply, massaging her eyes as Hou Yi and Chang'e stumble into the room.

"I'm so sorry, Secretary Miss Ann," Chang'e apologizes with her head bowed, and Hou Yi follows as well.

"No worries. What's this about, Nate?"

Nate clears his throat and fixes yet another imaginary bow tie. "My good friend Hou Yi over here is being accused of sabotaging Chang'e's art piece by Feng Mei and Chang'e. He and Chang'e had a history together—"

"Oh yes, the famous lover-rivals," Miss Ann remarks.

"What—" Chang'e lifts her head up.

"They had a history together," Nate says louder, "And I am rooting for them. Hou Yi, actually. Please, Miss Ann, surely one peek at the security footage won't destroy the world. Would you really want to destroy the school's famous lover-rival-star students?"

Hou Yi turns red and avoids Chang'e's gaze.

"Fine, but only if you keep updating me about your friends." Miss Ann here clearly trades for gossip.

"Deal!" Nate cheers, catching the key that Miss Ann tosses to him, and beckons them to follow him into the security room.

Once inside, Nate shuts the door and turns on the lights. It's still dim though, and the blue LED lights of the tech make up for the rest of it.

Chang'e and Hou Yi still stay by the door, not wanting to destroy any of the hardware.

"Woah, it's like a whole super spyware is hidden in here," Feng Mei exhales. "It's nothing special," shrugs Nate, "They all only look good."

Nate takes a seat on the chair, fingers flying over the keyboard and bringing up the CCTV footage over the past week.

"How many times have you been here? Why are you so skilled at this?" Chang'e questions in disbelief.

"Oh, trust me. You do not want to know," Hou Yi replies for Nate, who's focusing on searching for the specific footage of the room in which her painting was in.

"Uhm, guys?" Nate says slowly, staring at a static screen.

"What is it?" Feng Mei leans over to see a bunch of static over the course of last week.

"I think our saboteur is much more clever than we thought."