To Love You Again

Jang Shin kept glancing at the entrance door. 

'Dammit. This guy made me worry. Why he was so late?'

The man of his thoughts came out from the door.

When Linfeng was in front of him, Jang Shin whisper-shouted, 

"How come you're late?! It's good our first professor just gives us a seatwork and left. 

And why don't you answer your phone yesterday? You know I'm dying while I'm calling you?!" Jang Shin said exasperatedly. 

Linfeng ignored Jang Shin's grumbling and took his seat. His mind was elsewhere. Linfeng let out a heavy sigh.

"What, you're not listening to me, aren't you?"

Linfeng did not answer and stare ahead.

"Hey-" 

"Sigh." Linfeng sighed again.

"Why are you keep sighing? Did we lost a big deal?" Jang Shin began to worry. Did SC suffer a loss yesterday night?

"Yesterday evening, I was so happy. I felt like I can touch the clouds. But now, I felt so empty and sad. I am so saddened." Linfeng murmured. His eyes were still lost and so was his expression.

"What the? Are you hurt?" Jang Shin was shocked. Did Linfeng hurt his head? How come he could say such things?

"I'm hurt. Really hurt. " Linfeng said to the air. His expression says he was really hurt.

Jang Shin's eyes widened. 

Then he put pieces together. Their call cut off after the last call yesterday. Then, Linfeng hadn't answered his call since yesterday evening. Then Linfeng appeared now looking like a fool who has a screw loose.

D-did Linfeng got on accident and bumped his head?!

Oh no!

"W-where! Where are you hurt!?"

'Our SC! Dear Linfeng, get yourself together! ' Jang Shin almost kneeled on the ground.

"Here." Linfeng clutched his chest.

"My heart hurts."

"..."

"..Pardon?" Again? Jang Shin cleaned his ears.

"He was crying. He felt he was not enough." Linfeng continued his monologue while still holding his chest.

"What nonsense are you saying? Do you want me to smack you on the head to wake you up?" Jang Shin said in disbelief. 

'This guy is making me age faster than my peers.' Jang Shin really wants to smack Linfeng right now.

Linfeng finally looked at him.

"Nonsense right? I thought it was nonsense too. But if you continue to ignore it, it will bite you back ten times than before. Until it made you lose your mind. You will lose control of yourself. Making you eat less and sleep less. " Linfeng said looking far away.

"What happened to you? Where's my friend? Are you a doppelganger?" 

Linfeng looked at Jang Shin with blame.

"I am finally opening my heart to you and I shared my feelings. And this is how you respond to me?"

"Oh God! Where's Linfeng?!" Jang Shin was finally convinced that this Linfeng in front of him was fake.

"Shut up. You are making a scandal." Linfeng pulled Jang Shin who almost stand up in disbelief.

"My friend! You finally came back! I was talking to a scary guy earlier! He looks like you but he doesn't talk like you! He was like a maiden in love!" Jang Shin squeezed out tears in his eyes.

Linfeng was stunned.

Did he act like a maiden in love? He was just trying to express his feelings and analyze it. Because based on experience, the more he hid it and trying to cover it up the more it wants to blow up and ate him. So he was analyzing what he felt earlier. And Jang Shin acts like an instant questionnaire that he needs to answer.

But he? A maiden in love? Was he in love? For him, it's still too far to call it love.

What is it then?

"Aghhh!" Linfeng messed his hair. This- this always happened! He always asked questions about himself on his head!

"What now?!" Jang Shin said with worry. Linfeng was acting really strange. 

"Sigh. Nevermind. I'll analyze it later. So why did you call me?" Linfeng went back to business.

"Are you seriously asking me? You made me attend IAmFashionista and talked to our dealers. Of course, I have a lot to report. And what you will analyze?"

"It's emotional and mental analyzation. Do you secure the deals?"

"Not all of them. But most of them agreed to meet in later dates. What's about this emotional and mental analyzation?

"It's not for you to worry about. Just pass me the doc.u.ments later in the office. I'll check it after school."

Jang Shin finds it odd.

"Why not this lunch? Do you have an appointment?"

Linfeng halted for a moment. Then he smiled. 

"Yup. I have an appointment." He looked satisfied and happy.

Jang Shin opened his mouth. It stayed wide for a while as he watched Linfeng's expression changed multiple times. Linfeng looked like a lost fool who spoke nonsense earlier. Then he turned serious, then now he smiling like he won a big deal. Jang Shin couldn't understand what made Linfeng act so strange today.

"Wha-. No nevermind. By the way, what do you plan about Xinyang? She almost killed me yesterday." Jang Shin almost shivered in the memory.

After the event, Tang Xinyang invited him to their dojo. She said she wanted to know how Jang Shin progress in his martial arts.

Jang Shin keeps rejecting her invitation until Tang Xinyang said they would duel then and there and the one who won should follow the other's wish.

It was just a matter of choice to duel in the streets or duel in the dojo.

Jang Shin reluctantly chose the duel in the dojo. Remembering the fight yesterday, made his body ache.

Linfeng could feel Jang Shin's distress. He patted Jang Shin's shoulder. Since young, Tang Xinyang was fond of bullying the dimwit Jang Shin. And Jang Shin grew up being scared of the young tigress.

"I'm already doing the part of my deal. I'll take care of it." Linfeng comforted Jang Shin a little.

"You still haven't found her?" 

"Yeah. She was hiding. You know, she's good at hiding."

"I know. I experienced it at first hand. But what did the Tang family said that made little Yui hide in the corner of the world?" Jang Shin really wondered about it. 

The Tang family took care of their kin genuinely. Because they had no males, they took extra care for their young one's, even all of the heirs were females. Among the legendary four families, the Tang family was a bit odd as they give importance to relationsh.i.p.s. Especially relationsh.i.p.s in the family.

Little Yui was the youngest child of the main Tang family. She was loved. So it's impossible that the Tang family would do something that hurt little Yui and to result in her hiding.

"Xinyang did not tell me the reason. But when I investigate, it was said that she ran away because Mistress Tang talked about her marriage." Linfeng explained. But he thought it was more than that.

"What?! But little Yui is only sixteen years old! It was more possible to talk about Xinyang marriage first!" Jang Shin exclaimed.

"I thought so too. But it was the Tang's matter. Our only deal is to find Yui."

"That might be hard. By the way, I found something yesterday." Jang Shin becomes serious all of a sudden. He took a peek at the person who was seriously answering the seat work at the front.

Linfeng followed Jang Shin's gaze. He too turned serious.

"Let's talk somewhere else about that."

*****

Lunch quickly came.

For some reason, the peaceful and harmonious atmosphere that was always present in a certain table turned into a strained one. 

All the students in the cafeteria were watching the famous table in the junior building.

Part of it was because of a certain heiress who bid 20 billion for a dress and the other reason was, there was an additional person in the table.

"So..let's start eating?" Song Xuantin's mouth was useful for once. She broke the silence and the concentration of the two pairs of searching eyes.

Lu Yin Ze and Linfeng broke eye contact and stared elsewhere.

"Ahem. Some of you have met him before. This is Linfeng. The man I hold-"

"Hi, guys. It's good to know my juniors." Linfeng cut Xiong Zhi who was about to confess in front of him again. If he got introduced 'as the man Xiong Zhi dearly hold in her heart' people might talk. And hurtful rumors, was always bad for the woman's side, especially on Xiong Zhi's part. Even it was her friend that she was talking to. There are so many ears and maybe some that could not be trusted.

"You are Xiong Zhi's butler, right?" Lu Yin Ze wanted to confirmed. He saw Linfeng before. He was him together with Xiong Zhi sometimes. He also remembered him as the man who suddenly showed up and wanted him to not be so intimate with Xiong Zhi because rumors might happen and it would be bad for Xiong Zhi. (A/n: refer chap 156)

He agreed to him at that time and only taught of him as a capable butler who serve Xiong Zhi loyally. Nothing else more. 

But it doesn't look like that right now.

Lu Yin Ze was sure that he was not just a butler to Xiong Zhi. He was curious about this Linfeng who made Xiong Zhi called his name on first base only, and made Xiong Zhi smile happily. 

"I am. But I am her special friend as well." Linfeng answered back. 

The three in the table, Song Xuantin who was opening the box of food, Gu Zhen who was typing on his laptop, Xiong Zhi who was waiting to be served, looked at Linfeng when he said the word 'special'.

Lu Yin Ze was taken aback too.

'What did he mean by 'special friend'? Are all friends special? Did he mean best friend? Or...'

Lu Yin Ze stared at Linfeng who was staring at him deeply.

'Or does he mean more than that?'