Wait, I've Been Muted?

Night always had a way of making people feel lonely.

The two of them kept walking, even after they had left the school gates.

Gu Yun suddenly spoke, sounding a little wistful. "Don't laugh at me, but sometimes I feel like I'm living in a world that isn't real, like my fate has all been arranged in advance."

Bai Chen whipped his head around to look at Gu Yun in disbelief, his expression stiffening.

Gu Yun still looked gentle and bright, but a trace of sorrow showed in his eyes.

His lips were smiling, yet all Bai Chen could feel was his sadness.

"Otherwise, why would I be the only one born without parents?"

"Why do all kinds of disgusting things keep happening to me?"

"Why does it feel like everyone who comes near me is drawn to something? Not my face, but something I don't even know about. I want to escape, but I can't."

"Even when I don't like it."

At those words, Bai Chen lowered his head, bowing it dejectedly.

Bai Chen felt a little guilty. It really has all been arranged. You can't escape, because this is your storyline. All of it. You and I... both of us.

But why, when these are just things the protagonist of an angst novel has to go through, do I feel...

So sad-

Bai Chen had no idea what was wrong with him. He had wanted to convince himself not to get involved with anyone. This was just a story. What did the protagonist's life have to do with him? What did a good or bad ending have to do with Bai Chen? He couldn't do anything. He was only a supporting character!

But once he was caught up in it and realized he had become friends with the protagonist, once he heard the other man say those words to him in person, his heart seemed to waver.

He paused for a moment, as though making a momentous decision.

Then he smiled, openly and freely, as though he had figured something out.

He looked up at Gu Yun and said, "Not every story is impossible to change. As long as you want to, you can."

At that, Gu Yun looked at Bai Chen, only to find that Bai Chen had already turned his head away.

"Why do you say that?" Gu Yun asked, unsure why Bai Chen would suddenly say such a thing.

Bai Chen asked, "Maybe not everyone who comes near you is a bad person. Look at the people around you, or some of your childhood playmates. Your childhood friend used to..."

Just as Bai Chen was about to say that the person who had saved Gu Yun as a child was his childhood friend, a terrible pain suddenly seized his head.

It hurt right down to his bones, yet Gu Yun didn't seem to notice anything was wrong.

After taking a moment to recover, he felt a little better, but he still couldn't get out the words, "The person who saved you was your childhood friend." Every attempt brought another bout of pain, as though something were controlling him.

Bai Chen: ...

Bai Chen stamped his feet in frustration. Beside him, Gu Yun watched him curiously. Seeing his flushed face, he asked, "What's wrong? Why is your face covered in sweat? Are you hot?"

Three questions in a row. Bai Chen refused to believe he couldn't get around this. He immediately pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly typed a few words.

"That Brother Li of yours is the one who saved you from the fire that year."

As soon as he finished, he held the phone out with the screen facing Gu Yun. Looking even more puzzled, Gu Yun hesitantly shifted his gaze to the screen.

Gu Yun immediately looked up at him, his expression shocked and disbelieving, and seemingly... a little happy, too.

Seeing that expression, Bai Chen knew he had succeeded.

He couldn't help congratulating himself. Ha-this is all you've got, and you thought you could stop me from telling him? There, I got it out. Was that so hard?

He looked at Gu Yun, pleased with himself and clearly fishing for praise. "Well? Aren't you happy? Surprised?"

Gu Yun still seemed a little dazed. He stared blankly at Bai Chen, nodded, and replied, "Yes, I'm definitely surprised."

Then, as though realizing something, he hurried to explain, "But if it's you, it's okay. I won't look down on you or hate you."

Bai Chen: ...

Bai Chen had expected thanks. Who knew Gu Yun would instead say, "If it's you, it's okay"?

Bai Chen: ???

"What do you mean, if it's me, it's okay?" Bai Chen was baffled. There hadn't been anything wrong with the sentence he'd typed.

Something suddenly clicked. Bai Chen took his phone back and glanced at it, his eyes instantly widening. Startled, he rushed to explain.

"No, no, what I meant to type wasn't..." Before he could finish, he realized he couldn't speak anymore.

The sentence on his phone read: "I like guys. You won't look down on me, right! (๑• . •๑)" The worst part was that it had even gained an exclamation mark and an emoticon.

Bai Chen: Fuck! (A type of plant.) Come on, don't do this to me! I've been muted!!!

It had absolutely nothing to do with what he'd typed before.

Gu Yun: ...

In just a few seconds, Bai Chen's expression changed over and over-angry, flustered, embarrassed-but he couldn't get a single word out.