28 Empty

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Yitian asked Chao for the fifth time in the car alone. Chao looked at the driver and then he looked out from the window. His mood wasn't improving since that night. Chao thought that telling Yitian would help him and that he wouldn't leave him. But this guy was leaving, today. In ten minutes! And Chao was pissed. More than when his brother left for America to their father.

"I'm okay." He snapped back and continued to watch the scenery from the window. It was a short drive to the place where Yitian's bus was waiting. The driver stopped the car in a parking place and glanced in the rearview mirror, then he got out of the car and opened the door for Yitian. He glanced at Chao before getting out, the driver already took out his luggage and waited by the side of the car.

"Are you upset?" Yitian asked peeking into the car, but Chao was already on his way out, they almost crashed with their foreheads. He smiled, knowing that Chao wasn't that upset if he was willing to get outside of the car. Yitian made a few steps back and Chao got out. He glanced at the driver.

"Go in the car," Chao said to him and slammed the door. They were away from the bus, from other students. So, Chao pulled up something from his pocket and handed it to Yitian. "This is my old phone, I want you to call me when you arrive okay?" It was a really old phone, like a smartphone but nothing like these new models. Yitian had no problem with that, it was the first time he could remember that someone was worried about him. He took the phone without any problems and said thank you.

"Call me. Remember it. I have saved my number there, but don't give it to anyone else." Chao looked behind Yitian, where his classmates were pulling out their phones to snap a picture or two of them.

"Hey, idiot, move to the side. You are in the way." One of the girls shouted at Yitian, who got visibly sad. Chao was ready to go there and punch her, even if she was a girl. That didn't mean she could insult someone. But Yitian put his hand on his shoulder and flashed him a little smile.

"It's okay. I don't care about what she thinks. I have you and that's all I need," YItian said, calming Chao down. Then he turned around to stand side to the girl, put his hands around Chao's shoulders, and posed like a model, his head lifting, opening his mouth a bit. Then he got closer to his ear and blew into it. Chao got goosebumps and shivered. He lifted his hand and flicked Yitian to his forehead, who immediately put his hand on the red spot and rubbed it.

"Hey, that was mean. I wanted to make her heart flutter. Do you know that there is a rumor that we are lovers? And that you are actually my 'sponsor'," Yitian said and laughed. If they knew the truth they wouldn't be so excited. Even though Chao was a real hero, for saving him, he would never sell his body for money.

"I will smack you, just jokingly. Okay? It won't hurt you, but I have to do it." Chao said calmly and then gently smacked Yitian over his head. Just, lightly, for him not to be scared of that. "Don't joke about that," he said and surprisingly Yitian laughed.

"You don't have to be that careful anymore. I know you won't hurt me. I'm a man. This little thing can't hurt me. You can't hurt me." Yitian smiled and looked at the bus, then his watches. "I have to go now. It's time," he said and ran to the bus, when he was there he waved Chao to say goodbye and flashed one last smile.

Chao waved back and waited there, next to his car, until the bus left. Then he got in the car and told the driver to get him home. He was agitated by the gazes, the driver was sending him through the rearview mirror. He was even more agitated when he came back to the empty apartment. Chao turned on his computer to relieve some stress and play Secret of Legends.

"Yitian, from the back!" he shouted, but he was killed. Angrily, he turned to Yitian, but no one was there. Only an empty chair.

***

"Young Master, your breakfast is ready." His babysitter said and led him to a big dining room. It was set for only one person. Little Chao sat by himself and looked at the empty chair next to him.

"Where is mommy? Why isn't she back from heaven yet? She promised to play with me…" Young Chao turned to the babysitter, who was supposed to answer him, but he only saw her bowing and then leaving. He looked around but nobody was there. He was alone. The day his breakfast was really salty.

***

Chao woke up from his bitter memories and log of the game.

"Screw this!" he smashed his headphone on the table breaking them, but he didn't care. He called his driver again and rode away from the cold apartment.

"Young master, where do you want me to drive you?" the driver asked. Chao told him the bar and saw a disapproving gaze back.

"I don't think that's wise, young master." The driver was brave enough to say, but Chao felt bad, lonely, and wasn't in a good mood.

"And I don't think that I fucking care." he snapped back and the driver didn't say anything back. But he knew that the young master would come out drunk. After four hours of waiting, he got another call. It wasn't the young master, but his other friend.

"Hey, this is Yixing. Can you get us in the bar, we are outside..." Yixing wanted to continue, but the driver was already stopping before him and opening the door for them. Chao was hanging by his side, totally wasted.

"I have to be good. He had it worse than me…" Chao was mumbling. And Yixing decided to call Yitian tomorrow because if it went like this for the whole five days, Chao's dream of playing games would be destroyed.