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Wu Suowei had just found out he lived next to his school’s jock, Chi Cheng. Which, frankly, felt illegal. It should've been illegal actually! Chi Cheng wasn’t exactly a bad guy, but that didn’t mean he was the nicest, either. Out of everyone in the world, why did it have to be him living next door?!
Suowei and his family had just moved into the new neighborhood after he’d been relentlessly bullied at his old school. He was a nerd, brilliant at academics, and also a world-class klutz. Not his fault. Gravity was out to get him.
At his new school, he navigated the halls like they were a minefield, determined to avoid anyone radiating “potential bully” energy. So far, his only new friend was a kid named Jiang Xiao Shuai, who was brilliant, wanted to be a nurse, and had the patience of a saint. Suowei practically worshipped him.
Two weeks into his new school, his mom ordered him to bring some fruit to their new neighbors. He absolutely didn’t want to. Desperately didn't want to. But if he refused, his mother would slap him with her slipper, and she had deadly aim. So he grabbed the box of fruit like it was a death sentence and dragged himself over to the apartment next door.
But when the door swung open, he nearly screamed. Standing there, hair a tousled mess and wearing a black hoodie, was none other than the school’s jock. And, dammit, he looked stupidly hot.
“Hi… I live next door to you and, here,” Suowei blurted, shoving the box of oranges into Chi Cheng’s arms like it was a bomb about to explode. “Please welcome us. Thank you.”
He didn’t wait for a reply. He spun on his heel, bolted back home, and slammed the door so hard the walls shook. He slid down it, panting.
“Chi Cheng lives next door?!” he gasped.
“Da Qiong! Grab the other box to give to the rest of the floor!” his mom hollered from the kitchen.
Suowei let out a strangled groan. Perfect. What if the entire football team lives on this floor? I’ll be dead by midterms.
“Da Qiong! Wake up!”
Suowei's mom was shaking him like she was trying to dislodge his soul. He groaned, sat up with a head full of bedhead and shirt creases that could pass as modern art, and gave a half-hearted stretch.
His mother glared at him like he was the reason her blood pressure existed, then turned and stormed back into the kitchen.
“Oh my word! Thank you! You're such a handsome fella, and you really didn't have to give us anything! But thank you for welcoming us to the building!”
Her voice was loud, shrill, and full of suspicious enthusiasm. That’s how Suowei knew something terrible was happening.
Still rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he shuffled out of his room and fumbled for his glasses.
“Mom, who’s at the doo-”
He stopped.
Frozen in the entrance of their kitchen stood Chi Cheng. Chi Cheng. Same messy hair. Same smug face. Same handsomeness.
Suowei blinked. Had he summoned him by accident? Was this karmic punishment for handing over fruit like a goblin yesterday?
His mom looked between them, clearly clocking the intense staring match happening across her tiled floor.
“Oh! You two know each other?” she said brightly. “That’s perfect! He goes to your school?”
Suowei’s mouth moved before his brain could stop it. “Yeah... we do go to the same school…”
Now she was practically glowing. She grabbed his hands in hers like she was about to give him away at a wedding.
“Then why don’t you two go to school together?” she said, beaming. “You’re fine with that, right, Xiao Chi?”
Chi Cheng leaned lazily against the doorframe, arms crossed and lips curled into a smug little smile.
“Yeah,” he said, eyes on Suowei. “I’m fine with that. We can walk to school together.”
Suowei felt his jaw physically drop.
What. The hell. Was Chi Cheng up to?
They were on their way to school together, but somehow they were a whole hour early. Suowei didn’t mind one bit, because that meant he could sneak off to grab food from his “secret” shop.
It was secret to Suowei because nobody else ever seemed to go there, even though the food was downright magical. Magical I say!
Chi Cheng waited nearby while Suowei ordered, like an intimidating guard dog. Just in case, Suowei decided to order a second portion. It was meat buns: fluffy, steaming dough packed with a ridiculous amount of savory meat. Suowei was basically in love with them.
He paid and turned around, clutching the bag like it was treasure. He swallowed, suddenly nervous to speak. Chi Cheng looked terrifyingly cool, and he was extremely popular. But unlike the classic American movie jock, Chi Cheng wasn’t actually a jerk. He just looked mean, and he was blunt enough to crush a person’s soul without meaning to.
Still, he cared a lot about his friends, did pretty well in school, and was a beast on the basketball court. No wonder he was captain.
“Um… I’m not sure if you like this kind of food, but…” Suowei mumbled, holding the bag out toward Chi Cheng, careful not to shove it too close. “Would you… like some?”
Chi Cheng pushed off the wall and glanced at the bag. After a moment, he nodded and gently took it from Suowei’s hands. He peeked inside, and his eyes lit up like he’d just discovered buried treasure. Which the buns were...
He pulled out a bun and bit into it. “Thanks, Wei. It’s really good.”
Suowei practically beamed. He hadn’t expected Chi Cheng to actually enjoy it.
He took the bag back and devoured the other meat bun himself. It tasted like pure paradise! It was flavor-packed, aromatic, and juicy enough to require emotional support. Anyone would cry over deliciousness like this!
As they headed toward school, Suowei found himself drifting a little closer. But when they reached the gate, he tried to subtly slip away so no one would think they’d arrived together.
Unfortunately, Chi Cheng had other plans.
Without warning, Chi Cheng grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. Suowei blinked, disoriented, only to find himself standing in front of a cluster of the school’s popular kids. His stomach dropped.
Oh God. Was this how he died?
“This is Wu Suowei,” Chi Cheng announced, still holding his wrist like he was his emotional support nerd. “He lives next door to me. He’s my friend, you guys.”
Then he turned to Suowei. “These are my friends. They’re pretty chill. I hope you don’t mind hanging with us.”
Huh?
They… weren’t going to beat him up?
“Uh… nice to meet you all…” Suowei said, his voice squeaking like a door hinge. His body was shaking so hard it felt like an earthquake. “But… I’ll hang out with you guys another time. I can’t just leave my best friend alone without telling him first. Thank you!”
And he bolted, faster than he’d ever run in P.E.
He dashed to his usual spot, where Jiang Xiao Shuai was already sitting under their tree, nose in a book. When he looked up and saw Suowei approaching, his eyes went wide.
“I can’t even take it seriously that you like that guy,” one of Chi Cheng’s friends said, watching Suowei’s retreating back.
“He doesn’t seem like your type,” another added. “I thought you were into brave, strong, handsome guys. He looks kinda… fragile. And average. No offense, man.”
Chi Cheng just shrugged. He honestly didn’t care about their opinions. The only person whose opinion he actually gave a damn about was his childhood friend, Guo Chengyu. But Chengyu had his own group, and he’d only see him during basketball practice later.
Meanwhile, under the tree…
“What?!” Xiao Shuai shot to his feet when Suowei told him what happened that morning. “He introduced you to his friends? Isn’t that kinda suspicious? You don’t think he’s targeting you, right? If he is, I’ll beat him up for you, Da Wei!”
“It’s okay,” Suowei said quickly. “If there’s any red flags or weird vibes, you’ll be the first person I tell.”
“Good.” Xiao Shuai gave him a firm pat on the back. “I don’t want you going through the same hell as at your old school. But… if you trust Chi Cheng, then I’ll trust him too. I guess...”
Suowei let out a sigh of relief.
“Anyway,” Xiao Shuai said, plopping back down and flicking his book open, “let’s talk about…”
Chi Cheng and Suowei quickly fell into a routine. Every morning, Chi Cheng would show up early at Suowei’s place and spend the time chatting away with Suowei’s mother while Suowei scrambled to get ready. Once he was finally done, they’d say their goodbyes to his mom and head off toward their “secret” shop.
Their mornings were filled with jokes and endless conversations about anything and everything! They would chat about hobbies, TV series, wild theories, and the weirdest internet rabbit holes. They genuinely loved learning more about each other, and Suowei was thrilled that his new school life was going so well.
Chi Cheng’s friends ended up really liking Suowei, too. Sometimes they’d invite him to hangouts, gaming sessions, or even chaotic karaoke nights. They went out of their way to make him feel included, and, to their delight, discovered he was actually hilarious once he let loose.
During school and on some weekends, Suowei still spent plenty of time with Jiang Xiao Shuai. Eventually, Xiao Shuai got to know Chi Cheng as well, and the two of them weirdly hit it off. They could talk for ages about conspiracy theories, science debates, and random trivia... which wasn’t exactly Suowei’s favorite pastime, but he enjoyed watching them geek out.
He also liked that his two closest friends got along so well. Sometimes Chi Cheng would join their study dates, though he was careful not to butt in too much, knowing how much Suowei and Xiao Shuai valued their time together. But Xiao Shuai hated leaving Chi Cheng out, so he’d usually rope him in anyway.
After school, Suowei often went to watch Chi Cheng’s basketball practices, and he loved it. Chi Cheng was an absolute beast on the court, sinking three-pointers like it was nothing and spotting details other players missed.
He’d give his teammates tips by pointing out tiny adjustments in footwork, or suggesting different ways to move, and they’d immediately improve. Watching it all happen in real time was fascinating to Suowei. Sometimes he even jotted down the advice he heard from Chi Cheng, the coach, or other players, because it somehow helped him understand the physics behind it all better.
But there was one downside to Chi Cheng: he didn’t handle criticism from his teammates all that well. It wasn’t because he thought he was perfect, but because he felt like, as captain, he should be the one giving out tips, not receiving them. Still, he always accepted their suggestions with a polite smile, even if he was dying a little inside...
He’d actually gotten better at handling it ever since Suowei started showing up at practices. Suowei made sure to cheer him on, offering micro-manager levels of encouragement. And while Chi Cheng pretended to roll his eyes at all the fuss, he secretly loved it. A lot.
On days without basketball practice, the two of them would walk home together. They’d stop by a coffee stand to grab drinks, and on special occasions, they’d splurge on boba milk tea, because some days just deserved chewy tapioca pearls.
It was after basketball practice. Chi Cheng had just finished showering and was getting dressed back into his school uniform while Suowei waited for him outside the locker room.
Once he was ready, Chi Cheng slung his bag over one shoulder, while Suowei had his neatly strapped across both shoulders. Chi Cheng was about to ask Suowei if he wanted to come to their big match against a rival school next week when a group of his teammates suddenly caught up with them.
One of them threw an arm around Chi Cheng’s shoulders.
“Hey, Captain Chi! Are you gonna invite your boyfriend to our match next week?”
Both Chi Cheng and Suowei froze in place. The silence that followed was deafening.
They slowly turned to stare at the teammate, identical looks of utter confusion on their faces.
“You probably are, right?” the teammate continued, grinning. “I mean, we’re planning a big celebration party for you afterward, but we’ve been swamped with practice!”
Right then, Chengyu came strolling out of the changing rooms, blinking several times at the sight of the crowd gathering around his childhood friend and Suowei.
“Yooooo! What’s up?” he called, bouncing over.
The other teammates immediately pointed at Baldy, the one who couldn’t seem to stop talking.
Chengyu sighed and facepalmed. “Okay, what’s Baldy saying now? It’s gotta be some grade-A bullshit, right?”
Before Baldy could answer, Chi Cheng snapped, “We aren’t dating. And yeah, I was going to ask him to our match next week.”
Suowei was bright red from his hairline to his collar.
Chengyu raised his brows. “Really? You haven’t told him yet?”
“Shut up, Chengyu!” Chi Cheng shot him a glare. “What made you guys even think we were dating?”
Suowei blinked. “Told me what?”
“Nothing!” Chi Cheng blurted, his frustration clear, and the tips of his ears were turning pink.
Baldy piped up again. “Dude, you’ve been walking him home for months. You spend, like, all your time together. You only ever smile when he’s around. He’s at all our practices. You’re way calmer when he’s there. How are we not supposed to think you two are dating?”
Chengyu cringed a little, scratching the back of his head. “I really thought you’d told him already… You guys started hanging out more, getting all clingy… Sorry, man. Didn’t mean to run my stupid mouth…”
Chi Cheng rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue. “Fine!”
He turned away from Chengyu and the guys, squaring up in front of Suowei.
“Ever since you came to my door that first day, with your clumsiness and your cute face, I’ve liked you,” he confessed. “And I’ve liked you more every single day since. So… I’d really like it if you’d be my boyfriend.”
He shot a look over his shoulder at Chengyu, adding through gritted teeth, “Happy now, Chengyu?”
Suowei blinked, stunned. “You… like me?”
“Yeah,” Chi Cheng said, his voice softening. “I really do.”
“You… like me…” Suowei whispered to himself, as if trying to process a complex math equation.
“I do,” Chi Cheng said firmly. “So please come to my match next week… especially as my boyfriend.”
Suowei swallowed hard. “Of course… I’d love to come to your match… especially as your boyfriend.”
And then chaos broke out.
Chi Cheng’s teammates exploded into shouts, hollering and running literal circles around them. Chi Cheng barely had time to react before Suowei threw his arms around him, hugging him tight.
Chengyu crossed his arms and smirked, a quiet grin tugging at his lips. He was happy to see his friend finally settle down with someone who made him smile like that.