Li Hao knocked on Yuhan's door.
"Are you done?" he asked, peeking inside.
"Almost."
"Hurry, we still have to get food before it's late," Li Hao said, heading for the living room and leaving Yuhan to tidy up his room.
"I saw a restaurant when we were coming," Li Hao said as soon as Yuhan joined him. "I could tell by the smell of the oil that it would be fantastic."
He grabbed Yuhan's hand, pulling him along as they walked out of the apartment.
They got into the elevator, and just as the doors were closing, Chen Zixuan slipped in. Li Hao bowed his head politely, while Yuhan quickly looked away.
"We're on our way to get food," Li Hao said, trying to lighten the air.
Zixuan just nodded with a polite smile.
"The least you could do is reciprocate and say something, exchange pleasantries," Yuhan muttered with a scoff.
"But… he didn't ask," Zixuan said, glancing at Yuhan.
"Well, next time someone talks to you in an obviously awkward situation, you reply," Yuhan said, emphasizing his words with a clap of his hands.
"Ah… I'm going to the convenience store," Zixuan replied, giving his usual weird smile.
"Exactly. Good boy," Yuhan said, patting his shoulder like a proud parent.
They stepped out of the elevator and walked down the street together: Yuhan and Li Hao hand-in-hand, Zixuan a few steps ahead. Li Hao leaned over and teased, "Good boy? Since when are you two this close? Who's falling for who?"
"Shut up, he will hear you," Yuhan hissed, reaching to swat at Li Hao, who dodged with a laugh. They kept walking, chatting and laughing. Yuhan glanced at Zixuan now and then; Zixuan tried to sneak looks without making it obvious.
"I've reached the shop," Zixuan called over his shoulder, pausing at the convenience store entrance and nodding to them.
"Okay, bye!" Yuhan called, waving as he and Li Hao moved on.
Inside the convenience store, Zixuan grabbed his third soda already and sat by the glass window, watching the street. He sipped quietly and asked himself, When will they be back?
"Sir, your total is —" the cashier's voice pulled him out of his daze. Zixuan handed over a bill without really looking, intending to grab his change — he heard Yuhan's teasing voice from down the street.
"Did you see the way that guy looked at you? I could smell he was in rut," Yuhan joked to Li Hao, loud enough for Zixuan to hear.
Zixuan withdrew his hand as he was about to receive the change and said, curtly, "Keep it," then hurried out.
"I can kill you right now," Li Hao laughed, lifting a leg to pretend-kick Yuhan, who hopped back.
"Be careful, or the food will spill," Yuhan teased, eyes scanning the street. They kept walking and spotted Zixuan just outside the earlier shop, pretending to take a phone call.
"He's still here," Li Hao noted. Yuhan and Li Hao exchanged looks and walked on as Zixuan "dropped" his call.
"You're still here?" Yuhan asked when they caught up, voice light but sharp.
"Yes, it was an important call," Zixuan replied.
Li Hao nodded dramatically, as if he was watching a movie he'd seen a hundred times.
"Let's all go then," Yuhan said, and they started walking.
The walk home was quiet, painfully quiet. No one knew what to say, and the air between them was thick with unspoken thoughts.
When they got out of the elevator and reached their floor, Zixuan stopped in front of his door, directly opposite Yuhan and Li Hao's.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Li Hao whispered, glancing at Yuhan. Both of them looked equally anxious.
"We are thinking the same thinking," Yuhan said in his thick, playful English accent. Zixuan couldn't help but chuckle.
"You were the one who was supposed to take it," Li Hao said, arms folded.
"Now you're shifting the blame to me?" Yuhan retorted, putting his hands on his hips. Zixuan stood between them like a kid watching a cartoon, eyes flicking from one to the other.
"It was technically in your room," Li Hao countered.
Amid the bickering, they suddenly heard t the door beep with a voice — calm, casual and familiar.
"The door's unlocked."
Both of them turned.
Zixuan was already standing by their door, hand on the knob, looking at them with that faint, teasing smile.