Chap 9: Be my friend, forever.

Cupid wasn't Nova's first friend, but, if asked who understood him the most, who played with Nova the longest, then... it was only Cupid.

The first time someone confessed to him was when he was about to graduate from elementary school, when he was still 14.

"Please... can you be my lover?"

Nova fumbled, not knowing how to answer, he was sure that he didn't want to form a relationship with a stranger, someone he had never met before, and suddenly became lovers?!

No, he doesn't wish this to happen…! Never!

Nova believed in true love, even if it was love at first sight, at least he had to be friends first before he could become lovers, why did this person insist on telling him to be lovers with them?

Something is very fishy here…

"I'm…sorry…"

"Please…just this once…"

"J…just this once?!"

Then a familiar shadow appeared.

Cupid…!

"I'm sorry, but can you please go away? You…made a bet with your classmates, right? Whoever gets the lowest score will confess to the person they're interested in." With a straight gaze at the other party, Cupid gently said, "Please, don't do things like that again."

"Ah…I…uh…got caught. How did you know?"

"I'm good at observing, that's all."

Cupid was as surprised as ever…Nova wished he was more attentive to such small things. How nice it would be if Nova had the chance to stand up and protect Cupid, instead of waiting for Cupid to help…

When the girl bowed her head to apologize, Cupid just said, "Don't do that again, you're making Nova feel uncomfortable." He then took candy from his pocket and put it in the girl's hand before she left.

"I'm bothering you again." Nova smiled shyly as she took the ice cream.

"It's nothing." Cupid sat next to him, continuing to eat his melon-flavored ice cream.

If the genie was real, Nova wished Cupid and Nova could be friends forever. But Nova also hoped that if they ever broke up in the future, God would give him a kind person who would be with him and love him with all their heart.

He and Cupid were very similar, but also very different. It was as if lonely people, living in a silent world, suddenly found each other.

Cupid is not an active person, nor does he like to talk much, but he is a very talented person and good at encouraging others.

"Sorry…" Nova suddenly blurted out unconsciously.

"It's nothing… there's no need to apologize." Biting the ice cream bar, Cupid raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"No… nothing…" it's just… someone like you could become even more talented, someone like you could still develop your talent if you weren't… here, dedicating all that love and effort to me, Nova.

Even though we promised to protect each other, why does Nova feel like he's of no use to Cupid?

I'm just a good student… even if I get into a good school in the future, and work to earn money… it might be too late to repay Cupid.

"Cupid. Don't ever disappear." Even though I hope you can find someone better, somewhere a part of me also hopes that you can stay here with me. Being my friend, if it were "forever" that would be great, but that's just a pipe dream… just a dream, Nova thinks.

"Uhm." Cupid nodded: "I won't go anywhere far… definitely… ever."

I know you're a kind person, too kind…so kind that Nova is scared that he'll continue to indulge in that indulgence…

-o-

"Uh….ahhhhhhhhh…damn it…" Nova ran straight back home, forgetting to stop by Cupid's house to cook for him a meal: "But I can't just face Cupid like this?! No way, no way, no way! Ahhhhhh!"

As soon as he got into his room, and closed the door, he collapsed onto the floor. Threw his bag by the bed and hit his head on the floor a few times.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh! I knew it, I knew I couldn't hide it from him for long…I knew it!"

Why!!! Why did he feel like a primary school student whose parents discovered their love affair!!! It's just Cupid! Why is he overreacting like this? Uhhh!!!

Cupid never objected to this, he was just a little strict…but he would let Nova do as he want as long as it made Nova happy…he knew…but still…

Lying down on the floor, he rolled back and forth for a while until a knock suddenly sounded outside the room.

"Nova, are you going to starve yourself to death?"

"Ah… big brother!" Nova quickly stood up, and opened the door a little to look at his brother: "I'm coming down to eat right away!"

"It's six o'clock already."

"Yes…"

"You haven't changed your uniform yet."

"Well…I went to a literature tutoring class today so I got back home a little late…" Nova opened the closet to get some clothes and put his bag in the corner of the room.

"Is it a literature competition?"

"Yes! It is."

"Go take a shower and come down to eat, the food's all cold." Nova's brother then went back to his room.

He nodded and said, "Thank you, brother." Then he took his things down to take a shower. He thought he would quickly forget everything, but when he sat down at the dining table, his cheeks were hot again. In a panic, he wondered how he would react if he met Cupid tomorrow...

-o-

"Cupid, honey. Didn't Nova come over today?" Seeing Cupid standing in the kitchen cooking when his mother just come home, his mother wondered.

"No... he's busy today so he had to come home early."

"Oh, right, my friend said that she will let her son take the gifted student exam soon. Are you planning on taking any exams?"

"No, I don't wanna. Exams are tiring, and now it's a bit late to register, so studying will be twice as tiring."

"Pfft, you're being lazy again. Mom knows what subject my little child is best at!"

"What subject?"

"PE…!"

Cupid frowned: "Funny huh…"

"Hahahahaha… I'm just telling the truth!"

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay, no kidding… no kidding. But it's rare to see our Cupid actually cook something for us."

"Because I can't cook as well as Nova." Cupid only likes to eat a few dishes, and he's also lazy when he has to cook, so if Cupid cooks, he'll have three fried rice meals and two egg fried a week. He's definitely not bad at cooking, he just felt that eating fried rice was enough to make him full.

Nova came over in summer vacation one time, saw him lying on the couch, and asked if he had eaten anything, but he shook his head and said no. Nova was shocked, it was almost afternoon and he still hadn't had lunch?! Nova shouted.

Cupid rolled his eyes, saying it was nothing, Cupid was so sleepy that he took a nap and forgot to eat lunch, he could wait until the afternoon to have his meal later. So he was scolded by Nova for a full fifteen minutes.

"Big brother!" Suddenly his leg was kicked hard: "Fried rice again?!"

"Why not?" Cupid kicked his younger brother back: "If you don't like it then starve yourself!"

"I'll fry an egg and eat it myself." Still wearing his school uniform, Cupid's brother went to the refrigerator to see if there were any snacks left.

"Just some fried rice and you already making a fuss? Ask mom about it, didn't you also have fried eggs at school?"

"Eros!" Cupid's mother immediately shouted: "Eat eggs one more time and I won't let you play with the computer tonight."

"Uhm...!" Eros gritted his teeth and growled, only for Cupid to respond with a tongue-out, well deserved, he whispered to his younger brother, causing the kid to kick him in the leg again.

"Wow, it's been so long since I've seen Cupid cook, it smells so good." His mother pointed her nose at the rice pan, sniffed it a few times, then cupped Cupid's cheeks and asked: "How was school today, sweatie?"

"It's okay." He replied: "I already told you about the fact that Nova likes someone in class A-1, right?"

"Uhm, I think you did."

"I found out who it is."

"Who is it?"

"Mom, go take a shower and change your clothes first, I'll tell you later."

"It okay, please tell me now. Eros took the bathroom first, it will probably be another half hour before he comes out."

"Oh…ok…so that day…"