"Quite the self-conscious one."

"Well, you see," Ding Wentao said, intentionally trying to look cool by running a hand through his hair, "a lot of the young ladies are into me."

Chen Chao was so put off by his tacky move that he took another step to the side, not wanting to be near him.

"I'm serious, Brother Chao." After a moment, Ding Wentao sidled up again and asked him mysteriously, "Don't you dream?"

Chen Chao took the mp3 player out of his pocket, put on the headphones, and refused to communicate with him any further.

"What type do you like?" Ding Wentao was still asking. "Last time I saw you talking to that girl from Class 3. Do you like her? She's pretty, but I don't like her type. I like the ones with a soft and gentle temper."

Chen Chao couldn't hear him clearly anyway; the volume in his headphones was turned way up.

"Last time I had a dream, guess who I dreamt about..." Ding Wentao didn't care if Chen Chao could hear or not. He desperately needed to confide in someone; if he didn't let it out, the adolescent boy would burst from frustration.

Music blasted "boom boom boom" in Chen Chao's headphones, while outside, Ding Wentao endlessly shared his secret adolescent affairs.

In this environment of deafening noise, Chen Chao could still spare enough concentration to memorize a text he had learned today.

"Who's that up ahead, what class are they from?" During a gap as the music changed tracks, Chen Chao heard Ding Wentao say.

He glanced up casually, and Chen Chao raised an eyebrow.

Miao Jiayan was walking slowly with his hands in his pockets, his chin tucked into his zipper. His schoolbag was slung over his shoulder, and his hair, resting on his clothes, had become a little staticky, with a small section sticking up messily.

He hadn't stood steady when getting off the bus just now and had twisted his ankle. His ankle hurt a little, but not badly.

Hearing someone suddenly call him from behind, Miao Jiayan paused and turned his head.

"Fuck," Ding Wentao had thought it was a girl from some class. The moment Miao Jiayan turned around, Ding Wentao couldn't help but say, "It's the little pervert."

Chen Chao had been looking at Miao Jiayan. When he heard Ding Wentao speak, he turned to look at him in astonishment, as if he hadn't heard clearly, "Huh?"

"You don't know about him?" Ding Wentao, still oblivious, began to enlighten Chen Chao. "The little pervert of our school. He looks like a little girl, but he's actually a guy. He's got mental problems."

Miao Jiayan had already turned back around quickly, taking a few hurried steps and walking faster and faster.

Chen Chao stared at Ding Wentao, his expression almost incredulous, and asked, "What do you call him?"

"Little pervert, everyone calls him that," Ding Wentao said. "Just looking at him is disgusting."

"Everyone calls him that?" Chen Chao repeated the question.

"Yeah," Ding Wentao said, rather bewildered. "Isn't that what a pervert is?"

This was the first time in a long while that Chen Chao had so directly felt the vast gap between himself and this place. He realized this wasn't just Ding Wentao's or some individual's opinion, but a prevalent attitude in this environment.

For a good ten seconds or so, Chen Chao was speechless. The many reactions he wanted to have all crowded together, resulting instead in a state of blankness.

Chen Chao wound up his headphones, stuffed them in his pocket, and yelled, "Miao Jiayan!"

Miao Jiayan acted as if he didn't hear, already nearing the intersection.

Chen Chao yelled again, but Miao Jiayan still didn't stop.

"I'll count to three, you better stand right there!" Chen Chao yelled ahead again.

Miao Jiayan's steps paused for a brief moment, but then he kept walking.

"What's going on, Brother Chao?" Ding Wentao was already completely confused.

Chen Chao ignored him and ran forward.

Ding Wentao called out from behind, "You know him?"

The instant Chen Chao grabbed his schoolbag strap, Miao Jiayan shut his eyes in fear. Thin, pale-blue veins trembled fragilely on his thin eyelids.

"I called you, didn't you hear me?" Chen Chao pulled him forward by his schoolbag strap.

Miao Jiayan opened his eyes, which were a little red. His gaze towards Chen Chao was filled with a trembling helplessness and sadness.

That look from him made Chen Chao swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue. In the end, he just held onto Miao Jiayan's schoolbag strap and said, "Call me."

Miao Jiayan pursed his lips. Under Chen Chao's fierce gaze, he still called out "Brother" in a very small voice.

"What are you running for?" Chen Chao asked, his face dark.

Miao Jiayan didn't answer, and Chen Chao didn't need him to. He just held onto his schoolbag, not letting him go.

Ding Wentao had already walked over, calling out "Brother Chao." Seeing Chen Chao holding Miao Jiayan's bag like he was holding a little chick, he thought Chen Chao was about to get violent and asked, "Did he piss you off?"

Miao Jiayan struggled backward a little, not using much force, and failed to break free.

Chen Chao pulled him forward again and said, "Call me."

Miao Jiayan's mouth was shut tight. Chen Chao's voice grew much colder as he looked down at him, "Call me."

The three of them stood there: two in a standoff, and one confused about the situation.

In the end, Miao Jiayan was still afraid of Chen Chao and couldn't withstand his temper. He finally reached back, grabbed Chen Chao's wrist to pull his hand down, and added softly, "Brother..."

It wasn't the usual soft, childlike "Brother," but a single word that would sound perfectly normal to an outsider's ear.

"Holy shit..." Ding Wentao sucked in a breath from the side, looking from Miao Jiayan to Chen Chao with a dazed expression.

Chen Chao let go of Miao Jiayan. Ignoring the other two, he turned and strode away.