Chapter 42 (1/2)

Fake Slackers

Translator: Jury

Editor: NomNom

First Published on Chaleuria

042 – First place for sure

He Zhao held the half-cigarette between his fingers, the smell of smoke all around hi so bad After a second of silence, he said, ”You haven't been good… you're not asleep yet?”

Probably because he had been s, He Zhao's voice sounded very hoarse Pitched low and deep, even his tone descended as he spoke

As he finished speaking, he let go and the cigarette fell onto the floor Then he went quiet again

This was the first ti He Zhao do this Or, should he say, this was his first ti He Zhao in this state

When heHe ate lollipops all day and kept the stick in his mouth Now Xie Yu s Bro of the East Building whose name struck fear into people's hearts been like?

Had he been like this?

His spirits see presence, even an air of tyranny He seeoing to the bathrooer version of it He turned around and said, ”You, dao anywhere”

He Zhao ement Only after Xie Yu had walked past hio to the bathroo's dorood All the dorm rooms had their own thermostats and private bathrooms, and the rooms themselves were spacious

Xie Yu's voice ca pipe Reported to maintenance”

He Zhao sat on the stairs and didn't one to his room, showered, and lain down, but then he had jolted awake from a dream covered in a cold sweat And then, on this beautiful autuo back to sleep

Ringing in his ears were the words Lei Jun had suddenly bent down and said into his ear at the restaurant ”He Zhao, you left Erlei in such a state Why haven't you killed yourself?”

Even in his drea hilanced down and toyed with the lighter in his hand With a click, a small flame shot out

He released his thuhtly warertips

Lei Jun was now Ji-ge, a fourth-year at the Infory school He had been held back one year He couldn't be considered a school tyrant, but he'd attended the school long enough that the previous Dian Ji 'big bros' had pretty h they were enemies now, before… they had been as thick as thieves

In junior high, He Zhao had been popular and made many friends, but had only a few close friends He hada bottle of soda, as if it were alcohol, after going through a breakup Another boy stood beside hio, but I, your bro, will always be here”

Lei Jun said, ”Erlei, you like me? But I don't likeXiaolei both got such bad grades that the teachers stopped bothering about the as they weren't a bad influence on the other students, the teachers closed one eye and let things slide

And He Zhao, at the start, had really been the hope of the village He had been a pro a proet involved with two bad students, all the teachers were heartbroken, especially his homeroom teacher ”Don't associate with them so much You're not the sah students be? They hadn't even begun to rades were poor, that was all

He Zhao always said, ”Teacher, hypothetically speaking… if I were to go down the wrong path, that's no one's fault but ht now, aren't I? Can you not be prejudiced toward the other students?”

He Zhao thought about it, then he suddenly lay back, hands crossed behind his neck

His clothes were thin, and he felt a cool breeze slip under the fabric at his lower back as hewhen Xie Yu finished washi+ng his hands, crossed the stairwell, and sat down next to hiht Xie Yu wanted one ”Pocket There's one left Look for it”

Seeing the handsoet it ”Which side?”

He Zhao said, ”The left, probably”

He Zhao earing only a short-sleeved t-shi+rt on his upper body, clearly without any pockets Xie Yu reached halfway across He Zhao then paused

He Zhao had re the 'Love and Peace' vest whose pocket he had stuffed a handful of lollipops into when he left his dorhtly touched the top of his thigh through his pants, the shock finally jolted his memory

He Zhao wore a loaisted pair of jeans Black and frayed in places

Xie Yu looked down, hands fu ti, but he did feel the person next to hiid

He Zhao couldn't lie down any longer He sat up, subconsciously catching Xie Yu's wrist His skin ar bone of his wrist landed in He Zhao's pal,” He Zhao said ”No sweets, they're all in my room If you want one, I…”

He Zhao didn't finish before scraround Then he walked down the stairs two at a ti onto the landing, the he in the wind

As if he was flying

Xie Yu sat on the stairs, internally wondering how one this ti a er than the can Xie Yu had seen on his desk in his dorht his entire stock with him

An assortment of all kinds of flavors met Xie Yu's eyes

He Zhao took off the cover and handed it to Xie Yu ”Here” Take all of the it on his knees He attentively sorted through the out a strawberry-flavored one

He Zhao just watched as his cold little friend unwrapped the lollipop Then, unexpectedly, he heard a word froed out the sound ”Ahh”

He Zhao: ”Ah?”