2 The Lion Meets a Wolf

As Leon got off the taxi just from the Beijing Capital International Airport to get to the bus stop, the scent of the spring breeze hit him like a wave of nostalgia.

Along with it, was a distant memory.

He and Wolfe Fang weren't always like this.

Yes, there was once a time when they were tiny little kids.... playing around and laughing together.

They were childhood friends.

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The little lion saw him just sitting there, twisting a flower back and forth between his fingers with nothing better to do. And yet there was genuine smile on his face.

Who is this boy? Isn't he bored, just squatting there by the itchy, grassy field on his own?

Leon was really annoyed whenever his father would bring him to the park for an undercover meeting with his 'friends'.

Leon Mo knew from the start that his father and his friends were the bad guys. They were the people that the TV warns you about.

He absolutely despised them.

Because they're not fun to talk to at all! They'll just pat your head and give you some change to buy candy.

This was the first time he saw a kid of his age. He thought he would have a comrade in his boredom from being dragged in his father's outings. A kindred spirit that can understand his disappointment from the lack of exciting children shenanigans.

But that boy was just smiling like an idiot while twirling the flower, as if it was the happiest moment in his life.

The little lion was baffled, suddenly sniffing about due to curiosity and wariness.

Would this boy be boring or not boring? He wants to find out, but was scared that he will be boring too like all his dad's friends and it will be a waste of his time.

He tried to get the other boy's attention while taking a small step very slowly and hesitantly, but the other was too busy in his own wonderland. In the end, he decided to approach him.

When he got nearer, he realized that the boy was singing.

He was singing that song that the curly haired girl from the TV was singing...

What was her name? Anabelle? No, that was the scary doll.

Leon shivered a little when he remembered the horror movie. He is never going to play with dolls.

But this dandy little boy seem like the type to play dolls. Should he talk about it to him?

No, that's too random. He racked his brain to remember the name of the curly singing girl on the show so he can strike up a conversation.

Then it finally hit him. "Annie!"

"Huh?" The boy turned to him, his eyes very dark and doe-like.

He had a very smooth and white face, a stubby chin, and a little chubby but not too fat.

Leon thought for a moment that he looked pretty like a doll, but not like that Anabelle doll. The prettier ones, the ones that are not scary that he saw girls play with and have tea party with.

They just stared at each other for a while without saying anything, like how two animals of different species meet in the wild.

"Tomorrow. You're singing Tomorrow from Annie, right?" Leon asked him with a smile.

"Ah... yes." The cute boy nodded shyly. "Annie.... Is that what the curly girl's name is?"

"Yes. You didn't know and yet you sing her song?"

"I barely had time to notice." The cute boy fiddled with the flower. "I only watched the movie when we boarded the bus and moved to another house again."

"Ah, yeah. My family also moves around a lot." Leon sat beside him. "It's to stay away from the cops."

"Mine too. Though I don't know why." The boy frowned. "My mother said it must be because I was so fat it should be illegal."

"Hey, that's not true at all!" Leon exclaimed. "You're very pretty!"

The boy scratched his head. "Really? Thanks but... I don't think so. It's true, my mother is saying it for my sake so I won't be sickly from being fat."

Leon Mo felt angry for some reason. He wanted to fight with this boy's mom right now.

But the pretty boy looked like he was about to cry if he continued. He then changed the topic so the boy would feel better.

"Can you sing again? I would like to hear. You've been singing for a while now."

The boy's eyes beamed brightly like stars at this. "Sure!"

"Tomorrow, tomorrow. I love you, tomorrow. There's always a day, a way."

He started singing softly, the wind blowing on his hair. As he continued singing that chorus again and again, his awkwardness started to go away, and he started smiling again.

But.....

Leon Mo covered his ears. "Ah, you sound so bad!"

The pretty boy stopped smiling and his face turned white. Then, it immediately turned red, and tears fell down on his face.

"Ah, why are you crying!? Why are you crying!?" Leon tried to wipe his tears with his small, delicate fingers.

"I'm sorry, but it's true! You sound so bad, my ears hurt!"

"Wahhhhhhh!!!" The cute boy cried and cried, shaking the Leon away.

Leon looked a little sheepish, not knowing what to do. He tried to console this supposed-to-be new friend, but he kept shaking him off.

He's not just a doll then, he's a porcelain doll! So easy to break with just a few small words!

Leon closed his eyes, then opened his mouth again. "Tomorrow... Tomorrow... I love you, tomorrow... There's always a day, a way."

The boy's tears stop falling and he raised his face from his hands that were once covering them. He looked at Leon with those doe eyes with great wonder.

Leon turned away slightly from this strong gaze, coughing a little.

He sang that part again, then said " There, you should sing it like this. Your tone is a little off."

"T-Tomorrow, tomorrow..." Wolfe tried it out, his voice shaky from crying. "I love you, tomorrow... There's always a day, a way..."

He listened to his own voice clearly and smiled.

Leon doesn't know what face to make, an expression in Chinese called 'not knowing whether to laugh or cry', and so he patted the little crybaby boy on the head.

"There, doesn't it sound nicer? I'm sorry, okay?" Leon apologized sincerely.

The boy sniffed and made a respectful bow. "I-I'm sorry too. You're not a bad guy. You're just trying to help."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Leon waved his hand, showing a very warm and friendly smile. "My dad makes me go to vocal practice besides karate, jujitsu, and fencing. My teacher said that people like you are called 'tone-deaf'. I can teach you how to sing better if you want."

"Really?" The two black doe eyes sparkled. He raised his hand for a handshake. "I'm Huilang."

"Like a grey wolf?"

"Yeah. My English name is Wolfgang."

"I'm Shizi."

"Like a lion?"

"Yeah. My English name is also Leon."

"Cool."

"Cool."

The two boys shook hands, smiling at each other.

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"Only children are capable of asking such stupidly obvious questions." Leon Mo shook his head and chuckled. "And after exchanging these few words, we become good friends that easily?"

Isn't childhood a wonderful thing? And now that they grew up, everything changed.

The only thing that's left between them now is hatred.