Chapter 13

"And I told my mom all about it—" informs Chang'e.

"You did?!" Hou Yi raises his eyebrows, "What did she say?"

"She said, 'Teenagers,'" Chang'e mimics her mom's movements, shaking her head with her hands on her hips.

"Chang Chang!" Feng Mei calls out, running towards her with open arms, "Wait, why are you with Hou Yi?"

"Oh, Feng Mei, there you are," Chang'e beckons Feng Mei to come closer, "I have something to ask you."

"Yeah? What is it?" Feng Mei eyes Hou Yi warily. "What happened?"

"Why did you do it?" questions Chang'e.

"What?" Feng Mei looks like she's been taken aback.

Hou Yi shakes his head, "Just tell the truth."

"I'm sorry for ripping out a painting from your sketch book and using it as my submission for the art contest," Feng Mei rambles in a single breath.

"You what—" Now it's Hou Yi's turn to be taken aback.

"I know," Chang'e exhales, "But that's not what I want to hear."

"You knew?" Feng Mei's eyes go wide.

"It wasn't subtle," remarks Chang'e, shrugging a shoulder, "You're not the only actor around. Plus, I decided to let it go. Now, why did you do it?"

"I was jealous, okay?" Feng Mei confesses while looking down at her feet, clearly too scared to hold eye contact. "You're smart, pretty, and adored by all even if you didn't hold any significant statuses in school. You and Hou Yi have a perfect little rival life in your hands that's ready to turn into romance any minute. The rival was more like a friendship, really."

Hou Yi makes a funny face.

"I was genuinely friends with you at one point, but jealousy makes you do crazy things, doesn't it?" Feng Mei looks back up at them, "Sorry, personal experience." Chang'e smiles a little at that.

"I just thought that, maybe if you lost during the art competition then you would take a fall, and I could.." Feng Mei winces, "..Rise to the top. In a way. Not really. I'm not good enough for that." She laughs hollowly.

"Feng Mei—" Chang'e has comforting words on the tip of her tongue, but she's interrupted by Feng Mei. "No, Chang'e, you don't have to comfort me. I was in the wrong and I realized that way too late. I'm really sorry. Can we be friends again?"

"Feng Mei, I can forgive you," Chang'e starts to say, and at that Feng Mei's eyes light up like Christmas lights on December. "But we can't be friends again."

"Oh."

"As much as we both want it to, it won't be the same anymore. I hope you understand. It'll take time."

"I get it, it's fine," Feng Mei smiles at her sadly, "Then I guess this is goodbye?"

"No, it's a 'see you later,'" Chang'e smiles back, "Cheer up, you're a pretty cool girl yourself."

"Thanks, Chang'e," Feng Mei starts to step backwards, "See you around." And Chang'e watches as she walks away.

"Science competition results?" Hou Yi suddenly pops up, startling Chang'e.

"Hou Yi! You scared me. I forgot you were even here."

"You did great, just saying."

"Thanks. Race you to the science results?" Chang'e asks.

"Sure—" And Chang'e runs as fast as she can. Payback.

"CHANG'E!" Hou Yi shouts at Chang'e as he chases after her, "I RAN AHEAD ONE TIME, DANG IT! ONE TIME!"

Chang'e laughs, running towards the bulletin board. She stops with a screech of her rubber shoes and searches for her name.

Hou Yi appears beside her, hands on his knees and breathing heavily. "Chang'e, it was just once."

"I won!" Chang'e jumps in place, pointing to her name.

"Boo. Tomato, tomato, lettuce."

"Oh, shut up, Hou Yi." Chang'e checks the math competition results for him. "Hou Yi!"

"Huh, what?"

"You're first place in math!"

"Really?" Hou Yi stands up to see, and there it's written Hou Yi Wang, first place. "I did," he mumbles, grinning at his name and the first place beside it.

"But only because I didn't participate~" Chang'e smirks as she pats her own shoulder, "I'm so generous for that."

"Whatever you say, Chang'e," he scoffs jokingly, "Does this mean I have to treat you for science?"

Chang'e stares at him. "You said it, you can't take it back now. You have to." Hou Yi stares back. He blinks. "Man, I shouldn't have asked."

"Too late," Chang'e sticks her tongue out.

"Where to?" Hou Yi asks as they walk to the school doors.

"If I said Naicha.."

"Alright, alright, let's go. At least they have some bubble waffles," Hou Yi concedes.

"If you order some bubble waffles, I want one too!" Chang'e's backpack bounces on her back as they walk down the downhill slope.

"Bossy much?" Hou Yi rolls his eyes.

"Please," Chang'e adds with a bit of sass.

"Fine. Just this once because I won the math contest, and I'm in a good mood," relents Hou Yi. He swings open the doors of Naicha, but Chang'e runs in before he can even think of closing it on her.

"You're getting better at predicting," he remarks.

"That I am! PLus the fact that you're getting lousy," Chang'e retorts, "Bleh."

"Just go find us a seat."

"Aye, aye, captain." Chang'e salutes before taking a seat on a lavender couch. Their lavender couch, when it's available, of course. She takes out her English book and sets it on their table, skipping the first few pages and landing on their lesson for the day.

"Hey," Hou Yi greets, with a tray in hand. The drinks are already there, and so are the bubble waffles. "Less people today so they're extra fast about it. Lucky, aren't we?"

"They're just excited to serve the queen—ahem, me," Chang'e takes her milk tea and bubble waffles from the tray, "You'll have to pardon them for their enthusiasm."

"Oh, yes, how could I forget. It was definitely not the money that I was handing to them." Hou Yi replies sarcastically, taking a seat beside her.

Chang'e bats her eyelashes at Hou Yi. "Thanks for the treat," she drawls out sweetly.

"You're welcome," Hou Yi takes out his English book too. "By the way, was 'teenagers' the only thing your mom said?"

Chang'e looks at him. "She also said, and I quote, 'What a man he must be to stick to you despite everything.'"

"That's just because this man likes you," he confesses so nonchalantly that Chang'e nearly takes it as a common conversation line.

"Well then, good," Chang'e goes closer and she can see Hou Yi's red ears through his hair, "Because I told my mom afterwards that I like that man."

Hou Yi inches closer and it feels like the road across the tanghulu shop all over again. Except this time, it's different.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Can you?" Chang'e laughs. Hou Yi laughs too, and Chang'e can feel the warmth of his breath graze her cheek.

"May I kiss you?" he corrects with a fond smile on his face.

"You may." 'I suppose One Honey Afternoon will be getting a second painting called Two Honey Afternoons,' is the last thing she thinks of before melting into the kiss.

—

"Have you read the latest newspaper issue?" Mr. Melanay, the art teacher, asks Mrs. Wang.

"No, Dave, not yet." They're in the teachers lounge, sipping on some coffee.

"Oh, Mrs. Wang, you're gonna wanna read it," Miss Ong remarks, passing her the newest printed issue.

Mrs. Wang's eyes scan over the headline. 'Legend of the Moon Festival turned real: Hou Yi and Chang'e are dating!' She spits out her coffee.

"Woah, watch out! This is my most recent tie-dye shirt," Mr. Melanay sighs, barely dodging the brown liquid.

"Hand over the money, Mrs. Wang," Miss Ong smirks, hands open.

"Youngsters and their bets these days," Mrs. Wang grumbles, placing a twenty in both Miss Ong's and Mr. Melanay's hands.

"You're only ten years older than we are, Mrs. Wang," Mr. Melanay reminds, stuffing the twenty in his pocket, "Thank you for the twenty!" Miss Ong cheers.

"Ah, those kids," Mrs. Wang mutters as she drinks her coffee.