Chapter 2: Ice Cream

Sheen of sweat rolled down the fair skins, marking its trail from subtle foreheads to the contoured muscles of two young adults basking under the early morning sun.

It started as a one-on-one friendly match, dribbling, blocking and shooting on the opponent's basket, but as they exhaust themselves from a fair share of physical and mental competitiveness, their smiling faces faded, replaced by hawk-eyed seriousness.

Zhan's lip formed a confident lopsided smirk hinting Haikuan of his determination to make a basket and end their rallying tied-up score.

Focusing on his defense, Haikuan reacted the instance Zhan advanced his right foot for an attempt for an offensive pull-out jumper shot. Only to be dismayed as his opponent had only faked his movement, stepping backwards immediately and then shooting up from that spot in a perfect fade-away shot.

"Yes!" Zhan threw his fisted hand in the air as he celebrated his win.

"Perfect shot." Haikuan slightly shook his head, admiting defeat.

"Did you see that Bo-di!" Zhan waved at their silent watcher on the bleacher munching the yet another basket full of baked goodies from Zhan's lovely Nanny.

It has been months since their first meeting, but although Zhan's existence became a normal thing in the Wang brothers' daily lives, Yibo only felt like he is a third-party between his brother and his Zhan-ge's close association.

He unexplainably feel both comfort and awkwardness as the three of them spends time together like this. But what baffles Yibo the most is the certain block in the pipes of his chest which feels tight every now and then, whenever he inadvertently see and know that the two are spending time together without him.

Questions such as, 'What are they talking about? What are they doing right now? Where are they?' Makes him anxious while these complex thoughts also threatens the quality of bond they currently have.

'Is he gonna take my brother away from me?' The thought scares Yibo, yet he couldn't ask his brother to cut ties with the other.

Just the thought of Zhan walking away completely from his life, makes Yibo scared and lonely beyond reason. In fact, just seeing him bid goodbye at the end of the day, makes him utterly broken until the next day comes and he meets Zhan again. He is already too attached to the man in a point of no return. Zhan was like his own sun, everything in him revolves around his Zhan-ge.

In his eyes, he only sees Zhan, yet his gut tells him, Zhan only looks at the older Wang, Haikuan. It might just be a platonic love of friendship, nevertheless, their closeness is undeniably greater and Yibo thinks his own presence is just merely an accessory--an unwanted third party.

Still, losing either of them isn't what he would ever beg for, so he'll just suffer in silence of the growing jealousy in his heart as he watches them both and stay by their side while he tries to put words in the growing emotions in his chest.

"Did you see that? Did you see that?" Zhan parroted yanking Yibo away from his deep unwanted thoughts. "I've won again, Bo-di!" Zhan further said running to Yibo's side, proud of his victory.

Sweat trickled down his face down to his chin, falling freely, wetting Yibo's arm with tear like maps. The stench of his stale sweat with mix of his usual wild roses fragrance walked in with him and filled Yibo's nostrils making Yibo's breath caught and his pupils dilate.

"Yeah. You won! Now scram away before you freak out my Didi." Haikuan pulled Zhan by the collar, scooting in between the two's close bodies, ruffling the hair of his now 13 years old baby brother with a mischievous plan in mind. "Can you please beat that punk for me, Yibo?" Haikuan requested with a pout of appeal.

"Mn. I can try." Yibo slightly nodded as he said those words, standing up without an ounce of worry. Behind his flat mask is his veiled excitement. His elation, mind screaming, 'Our turn.'

Zhan oblivious of Yibo's thoughts, looked surprised and betrayed gaping at the conniving brothers. "Hey! That's unfair!" But his wails only landed on deaf ears.

Yibo nonchalantly went to the middle of the court, ball in hand. His unfathomable eyes stared at Zhan's beaten up stature, patiently waiting for his opponent.

"D*mn you, Haikuan." Zhan growled dragging his exhausted legs back to the court.

"One point. The one who gets the first score wins." Zhan sighed stancing himself into his battle mode.

Yibo hummed in agreement and started to dribble the ball in stationary place with a rhythmic beat.

Eyes fixed on him, Zhan cursed the heavens why he had to battle against such an angel, so pure and blindingly handsome, he couldn't even focus. 'Can I just surrender?'

As if Yibo heard his thoughts, the younger's brows furrowed, bending his knees for an offense and bouncing the ball slightly quicker this time.

"Focus Zhan! F-O-C-U-S!" Haikuan yelled from the side, amused at his friend's uneasiness and hesitancy which is off his character.

"You're not helping you know!" Zhan yelled back, eyes still fixed at the angel on his front.

Yibo lunged forward with superb arm coordination at ball control and great foot work. Zhan was impressed, is an understatement.

"Focus." Yibo repeated his brother's words, bouncing the ball between his left and right hand, passing it playfully in between his legs, eyes holding Zhan's unfocused ones.

"Okay. Come on." Zhan heaved a sigh and cleared his mind to focus on what is right in front of his eyes. An opponent.

But who is he kidding?!

"Aish!" He exclaimed. "How can I focus?!" He lost himself in those light brown orbs, admitting defeat without even trying.

Yibo let out a scoff and effortlessly aimed the ball at the ring, releasing it with perfect calculation and arch, winning the biased play-off without a sweat. "I won."

He did. He actually did won something more than the game itself, it was Zhan's heartily laugh.

"I lost." Zhan admitted, letting out a chuckle. An unrestrained happiness flowed from his chest to his throat, making his eyes smile with his mouth. "Now, tell me what can this Gege give his Didi as a reward?"

'Reward?' Yibo didn't need time to think. Pink tinge crawling to his face, he held his head low letting his ears betray him with a scarlet hue. Scrambling with words and with low voice he said, "I-Ice cream."

"Huh?" Zhan was surprised. "Ice cream? Are you sure that's all?"

Yibo nodded silently.

"Then your wish is my command." Zhan let his itching fingers pat Yibo's soft mane before he ran off to grant his Didi's request without any more delays.

An ice cream, that is. But there is a story more to that.

It wasn't 'just' an ice cream. It was actually Haikuan's fault, that's why the culprit is giggling on the side with his playful antics to the two poor souls he adores.

Few days ago, he had fondly shared to Yibo that a girl confessed to his Zhan-ge and gave him a big tub of ice cream. And those who had seen the scene, acclaimed that 'Ice cream is the favourite currency of love.' and 'The best way to a man's heart is through the stomach.' Silly as those sayings are, and young and innocent Yibo is, why not put some spice and something nice to his brother's life? He has Zhan to thank and help him with that.

The guy is nice, friendly and true. Likeable and charming. Haikuan had seen how he broke Yibo's walls, slowly yet surely in the last couple of months. It was heart melting to know that someone else treasures and loves his brother the same way he does. How gleeful he is that a stranger can care and like his beloved brother that much, more than his own blood-of-a-father who refused to dutifully give them love and attention.

With Haikuan and Zhan's support and encouragement, Yibo was able to let go of his home schooling, step out of the Wang's mansion, and go back to an actual school. The younger is born gifted with a bright mind anyway, so there wasn't any problem academically with his performance.

Astoundingly, who could've known that he's got some skills for sports too. Lately, Haikuan has been bombarded by Yibo's school varsity coaches seeking help to recruit Yibo to their team. But who is Haikuan to dictate Yibo's choices?

Haikuan never felt more proud. Despite Yibo's still short words and limited reactions, his little improvements weren't bad. Yibo is coming out of his shell, and there is nothing else Haikuan would ask for except to reach a point where the old self of the brother he had lost comes back: the affectionate and smiling baby brother who's more important than his own life.

And he knew fate isn't that cruel. Hope will come soon, and change their lives forever.

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