Chapter Text
“A-Yang, come take a look at th-” Xiao XingChen froze. Footsteps gradually slowed as he approached a Gashapon that sells really cute sheep figurines. Ah, right… he had already broken up with his boyfriend...
They had planned this trip a year ago but the breakup had to happen two months before their trip. Over something really stupid, really. And it was most definitely Xue Yang's fault. Xiao XingChen could not even remember the details.
Nonetheless, since Xiao XingChen had paid for the air tickets and the hotel room, he decided to go on with the plan, dragging along his best friend - Song ZiChen.
On the day of departure, Xiao XingChen met his ex - Xue Yang at the airport. Since the flight ticket was not transferable, Xiao XingChen had let it go. He really did not expect his ex to show up also dragging along a friend.
Xue Yang smirked upon seeing Xiao XingChen and greeted him with his signature sweet tone tinged with layers of mockery.
The older man ignored the subtle harassment in favour of boarding the plane.
Sadly, being on a three hour flight even Xiao XingChen knew he could not go on ignoring the hands that groped at him from the side of his seat and the devil A.K.A the ex-boyfriend had the nerve to flash him a knowing smile.
Xiao XingChen returned the gesture with a glare, not wanting to cause a commotion. It'll be over soon! He assured himself that once the flight landed, they would be on their separate ways…
Xiao XingChen was so wrong.
Since Xiao XingChen had paid for the accommodation, of course he would be staying there with his friend and Xue Yang would probably book a room somewhere else…but why did the ‘somewhere else’ have to be in the exact same hotel right next to the room Xiao XingChen would be occupying?!
“So we meet again~” Xue Yang flashed his canines as they both got their keys at the reception.
Xiao XingChen practically rolled his eyes as he dragged his luggage along to his shared room with his best friend. Upon opening the luggage, Xiao XingChen's face paled looking at the clothes and also a plushie that did not belong to him.
Whose brilliant idea was it to get the exact same looking bag??? Ah...yes, it was his clingy ex-boyfriend - Xue Yang's. Xiao XingChen almost wanted to slam his face onto the hard surface of the luggage bag but he held himself back.
Instead, he did the most rational thing anyone would do - close the bag and return it to its original owner.
So Xiao XingChen was forced to pay his neighbour a visit. Several knocks later, out came a half-naked Xue Yang who stood by the doorway with only a towel around his waist.
Xiao XingChen almost got distracted by those fine abs and that charming smile but then he remembered that he was here for something else entirely.
“Oh, so GeGe has my bag~” Xue Yang took no time grabbing the luggage, purposely brushing his hand against XingChen's. “I was troubled ya know. Thinking I might probably need to strut around naked if I don't get my clothes back.”
Xiao XingChen was almost tempted to tell him off for his obvious bullshit but restrained himself. Instead he put on a courtesy smile and went, “May I have my bag please, Mr. Xue?”
And that concluded the whole charade on the first day of his trip to Tokyo. He did not see Xue Yang again that day.
But knowing his ex…Xiao XingChen was not surprised to bump into him again the next morning at the communal bathroom.
“Looks like you could still walk. Is your new boyfriend really doing you right?” Xue Yang's unwarranted comment almost made Xiao XingChen walk out of the bathroom, but he was running on a tight schedule so yet again Xiao XingChen ignored the younger man and entered one of the cubicles, locking the door behind him.
Day two started for Xiao XingChen as he visited various sightseeing places from the Asakusa district to finally having lunch at the Akihabara district. Song ZiChen in all seriousness was not a bad company to have, he was practical and would always help XingChen take photos that his friend would post on Weibo.
“Oi Shorty, where is XingChen now? Go check his Weibo.” Xue Yang looked around the restaurant for any sight of his ex but to no avail. He could not check on his own Weibo because XingChen obviously had him blacklisted.
Jin GuangYao let out a sigh before taking out his phone and flipped through the app.
“It says his last check-in is at an Okonomiyaki shop in Akihabara.”
“Damn…he's really changing his itinerary just to avoid me huh?” Xue Yang gulped down the green tea served to him.
The sushi in front of him left untouched as he pushed the entire plate to Jin GuangYao who gladly ate it.
“So what do you plan to do?” Jin GuangYao asked casually after swallowing the delicious piece of fatty tuna. “You do know Tokyo is too big for you to bump into him, right?”
“Tsk…Xiao XingChen, just you wait…” Xue Yang muttered to himself. He pondered for a while before his face suddenly lit up, “Right...the fireworks festival! It's on a fixed date. So Xiao XingChen would most definitely be there.”
“Mmm.. Hmm… But what do you plan on doing for the next three days before the festival?”
“Hmm...you decide. I honestly do not care…”
“Don’t mind if I do~” Jin GuangYao smiled brightly…
And so poor little YangYang was dragged all over town shopping for platforms at Harajuku…and hats too…
Xue Yang wondered how a person like Jin GuangYao managed so much distance with such short legs…
But nonetheless, the former delinquent followed along, given the fact that most of the trip was funded by Jin GuangYao because Xue Yang was pretty much dirt poor from buying that PS4 VR set.
Ah yes...the cause for his breakup with Xiao XingChen. Over a mere game console.
“A-Yang, you know that we are going on a trip soon. You can’t just-”
“Tsk. You are so annoying. Who do you think you are, my father?”
And with that, Xiao XingChen had not talked to him ever since...Xue Yang being Xue Yang did not see the severity of the situation until one day Xiao XingChen just upped and left their shared home.
Ah...Whatever… Xue Yang reassured himself that Xiao XingChen would probably be back in a day or two…and yet again it did not happen.
Xue Yang finally swallowed his pride and sent his boyfriend a private message on Weibo. It read:
Hey, BaoBei~ where did you go? Don't you miss your LaoGong?
…and he attached a dick pic.
It earned him an instant block from Xiao XingChen's end.
Totally baffled by the turn of events, Xue Yang downed an entire bottle of wine stored in their house - meant to be opened on the couple's tenth anniversary. They were at three at the moment…and well, things had already seemed to go south.
Nonetheless, Xue Yang found himself stumbling to the house of an old friend, crying his lungs out...or so it was narrated from Jin GuangYao's point of view.
“God, you were such a mess last night.” Jin GuangYao looked at the hangover mess. The corners of his lips curled upwards, simply amused at the sight. “Lemme guess, he finally had enough of you and dumped you.”
Xue Yang shot him a glare which he could not retain for long, thanks to the throbbing headache.
“A-Yao, is your friend awake?” Came a voice from behind. Jin GuangYao turned to meet his boyfriend who had just entered the room with a tray holding a glass of water and some sliced-up lime.
“Er-Ge~ Thank you so much.” Jin GuangYao took the tray from the man and Xue Yang swore the look in his friend's eyes were…ugh…
The last thing Xue Yang wanted to see was another couple being lovey-dovey in front of him. The taller man kissed Jin GuangYao on the forehead before leaving the room.
“So~ care to tell? You were mumbling the entire night, I wasn't quite sure I understood what you were saying.”
Xue Yang rolled his eyes before telling him how Xiao XingChen actually dumped him over a PS4!
...and also about the trip to Tokyo that they were supposed to go to in another two months time.
Jin GuangYao being the good friend he is, decided to lend Xue Yang a hand. And also… He needed a break from his lover whose sexual appetite leaves Jin GuangYao with a sore back all the time.
So this trip would be his perfect escapade…
After being subjected to three days of torture, (A.K.A shopping spree), it was finally the day of the festival.
An enthusiastic Xue Yang was already waiting at the spot with Jin GuangYao a couple of hours early before the festival started, holding a picnic mat in hand.
Upon arriving at this so-called ‘best-spot to view fireworks’, Xue Yang noticed that Xiao XingChen was already there with the ‘Pest’.
Pest ZiChen as usual regarded him with a poker face when he took a glance at Xue Yang who conveniently laid his mat down next to theirs.
“Good evening~” Xue Yang chirped to the disdain of the duo. He eyed Xiao XingChen who was wearing dark yukata, held in place by a snow white obi, just for the event.
Strangely, XingChen did not make a move to shift his mat away. The reason being he had found this spot first, so why should he move?!
He would most definitely not allow Xue Yang to ruin his evening. He had been planning this since a year ago...though his original plan did involve Xue Yang in it - holding hands while watching the fireworks together, his other half’s hand slipping between the folds of his yukata. Ugh…Xiao XingChen shook off the thought, but having your ex sitting right next to you and practically undressing your with their eyes made it very difficult to ignore.
“I'll go get us something to eat” Xiao XingChen announced before standing up, leaving Song ZiChen to guard the spot.
Sadly, what was meant to be an attempt to avoid the ex, had turned into some kind of strange stalking where said ex trailed behind XingChen as he walked among the stalls.
The crowd was starting to pour in and Xiao XingChen tried his best to ignore Xue Yang. However, the younger man just had a way of making his presence known with the subtle harassments like brushing their hands together or pretending to bump into XingChen.
Eventually XingChen somehow managed to lose Xue Yang in the crowd. Or so he thought, until the younger man appeared before him with a banana smothered in chocolate.
“If it isn’t GeGe! What a surprise~” Xue Yang commented, his act of surprise being completely unconvincing.
XingChen frowned as he watched Xue Yang’s eye lids lower, moving the chocobanana towards his lips, finally slowly licking the sweet treat from top to bottom. He continued staring directly into XingChen’s eyes while circling his tongue around the tip of the banana.
Doing his best to ignore the completely indecent display, XingChen opted to buy a cup of shaved ice. He needed some cooling down. It was the humid summer heat, definitely the humid summer heat!
He could feel Xue Yang’s gaze locked on him as he fished 500 yen in 10 and 5 yen coins out of his wallet, because how else was he going to get rid of all of those near worthless metal? Why did they still use cash everywhere in this country?
Not being able to postpone things any longer, the taller man turned around to continue walking through the crowd, only for him to be exposed to the sight of his ex shoving the chocolate banana down the back of his throat and noisily sucking on it.
XingChen dropped his shaved ice in shock… all over his hands.
Xue Yang made hurling sounds for a moment as he pulled the abused banana out of his mouth. A few coughs and wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he of course had to comment. “Ah, look at that sticky mess you made~ let me be a good boy and help you clean up.”
Before he could process what had just happened, XingChen felt the familiar soft and warm cavern of Xue Yang’s mouth pulling his finger in.
Nope, not happening.
XingChen roughly pulled his finger out of his stalker’s mouth, accidentally hitting Xue Yang’s nose in the process before running off. Only when he returned to their picnic mat did he notice the blood on his knuckles.
Noticing the troubled look on Xiao XingChen's face, Jin GuangYao pretty much figured things did not go well for his friend.
Oh… Well…
Jin GuangYao facepalmed when he finally found Xue Yang out cold on the floor with a bloodied nose. What would that idiot do without a (part-time) reliable friend such as himself?
Without even having the chance to enjoy the fireworks, Jin GuangYao had to drag Xue Yang's heavy ass to the station. Who would have guessed that the height difference would make things so much worse? This was turning into a disaster. Oh wait, it already was!
By the time Jin GuangYao had almost left the former delinquent behind because this much effort wasn’t worth their friendship, Xue Yang finally bothered to open his eyes.
“Wha… where… WHERE IS THAT BASTARD XIAO XINGCHEN?!” Xue Yang burst out, surprising several other people who were also waiting for the train. Taking a better look around, he found himself with his body half on the bench, half on the floor. Jin GuangYao looked perfect and pristine sitting next to him. Asshole.
Suddenly an announcement was blasting through the station's speakers. Xue Yang, who couldn’t understand a word of what was being said thanks to the language barrier and awful static noise almost ignored it until he heard Jin GuangYao sighed, “Oh…it seems that there's a delay due to a passenger getting injured.”
Feeling his blood run cold, Xue Yang instantly jumped up from his slouching position which made him look like a salaryman passed out on the train station bench after a drinking party. He was aware that ‘passenger injury’ mostly referred to suicide. It could have been anyone, but someone taking the same train line as them who had been behaving strangely…
Did Xiao XingChen finally had it with him and decided to end his life? The thought was far-fetched but then he recalled the look in Xiao XingChen's eyes moments before Xue Yang got punched in the face.
Those eyes were full of...sorrow.
“XIAO XINGCHEN!!!!!!!” he screamed, tears cascading down his face.
“Xue Yang…?”
He turned around and was met with… Xiao XingChen standing in front of a vending machine, in the midst of inserting 10 yen coins into it. Xiao XingChen blinked looking at a snotty-faced Xue Yang.
Xiao XingChen had left the festival early due to the guilt of knocking Xue Yang out and had followed behind Jin GuangYao to make sure everything was alright.
Xue Yang looked fine…except for the inexplicable tears and snot all over his face. Xiao XingChen's heart throbbed. He had never seen Xue Yang like this before.
The shorter man had always hide his feelings behind all those snarky remarks...and would not show his vulnerability...until now.
“Xiao XingChen! You-” He marched up to the taller man and grabbed his shoulders with both hands.
“A-Yang…What's wro-” The coin slipped from his hand when the shorter man pulled him into an embrace. Everyone at the station pretty much minded their own business, though some of them threw glances in the couple's way.
Xue Yang did not say anything and merely held the taller man tighter. Xiao XingChen was feeling more and more troubled.
“A-Yang…” he tried again. “You need to let me go.”
It was as if something snapped inside Xue Yang as he buried his face into the taller man's chest, probably rubbing his snot all over that brand new yukata. Xiao XingChen stood still as he felt the younger man trembling.
“Don't go…” Xue Yang's voice had came out weak. “Don't…I'm…sorry…”
Xiao XingChen felt his heart stop as tears began to well up in his eyes as well. This was the first time Xue Yang had apologized to him.
Xiao XingChen had always been the one giving in during their fights throughout the years of being together.
It was until two months ago, Xiao XingChen finally had enough after coming back from a long day of work to a messy house, and a couch potato Xue Yang playing video games.
After finding out that Xue Yang had purchased the game console, Xiao XingChen tried to reason with the younger man about his finance management but was met with Xue Yang's scoffs instead…
Xue Yang as usual did not apologize, did not see the reason to. Xiao XingChen felt his heart turning colder as the days went by…
And finally he up and left, right on his own birthday. He did wait, hoping Xue Yang would at least give him a call… But it never came.
Of course he did not know about Xue Yang's side of the story where the younger man had bought a cake and waited at home until he fell asleep.
He only realized Xiao XingChen had left when he went into their bedroom to check only to find all Xiao XingChen's belongings were gone…
Then on Xiao XingChen's weibo, he saw Xiao XingChen posing with a cake and the tagline “Thank you for the birthday celebration @BambooQing @SongZiChen” …and Xue Yang snapped…
...and ate the entire cake by himself, which was really a bad idea as he was hit with a stomach ache shortly after.
Anyway, Xue Yang's terrible attempt at apologizing had infuriated Xiao XingChen. So after saving that dick pic into his phone for future use, Xiao XingChen blocked Xue Yang off his social media.
Fast forward to now, the two idiots stood in the middle of a busy station as Xiao XingChen kept glancing around, feeling self-conscious.
“A-Yang…” Xiao XingChen raised his hand to rub circles on the younger man's back, he had heard the gesture has soothing properties. Miraculously, it worked and the trembling lessened.
“GeGe…you cannot die…” Xue Yang finally pulled away and stared at Xiao XingChen with watery eyes.
Xiao XingChen melted at the sight…
And the next thing Jin GuangYao saw was the two idiots running out of the station hand in hand, most probably eloping to the nearest love hotel.
“Idiots.” Jin GuangYao rolled his eyes. Everything went perfectly according to plan though. His lackeys deserved a pay rise.
Meanwhile Song ZiChen was still sitting on the picnic mat alone, watching the fireworks.
XingChen still isn’t back…?
Lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t notice a beautiful, petite, young woman approaching him.
“Would you mind if I sit here?”
Chinese?! Finally a human he could understand in this country!
After agreeing in his very ZiChen way, the woman who introduced herself as Hoshi started having a lighthearted conversation with him.
Maybe this turned out quite well after all.