Chapter Text
Yue Zhi
Shi Guang took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. Across from him, his opponent did the same. At this point it was inevitable.
"I lost."
His opponent's hand reached out to stop his clock, then they both stood up, bowed their heads to each other and stepped away from the table. They hadn't known each other before they'd started their game, so there was no reason to say any words now except for a sincerely meant thank you for a game well played.
It had been a hard fight both of them could be proud of and Shi Guang mused that if the other hadn't made that one mistake about fifteen minutes ago, the result could have very easily been a different one. He'd learned a lot today and he was proud of himself.
He looked around the room, his ears finally recognizing how loud the sound of dozens of weiqi stones being placed every few seconds actually was.
Every time he played, it was like he created his own little dimension. Him and the board. Only him and the board now.
Chu Ying, what did you think about the game? Did I get stronger again?
Looking around, Shi Guang saw that only a few tables were already empty. Most people were still absorbed in their games. Only Xu Hou to his left seemed to have seen him, winked and showed him a thumbs up before going back to staring at his opponent who was currently frowning at the weiqi board between them in not really hidden despair.
His captain was winning then. Shi Guang smiled.
His smile grew wider when his gaze travelled to the table Yu Liang had sat down at before the tournament had started. Empty. Caught in the trance of his game, Shi Guang hadn't seen him leave.
At the point in time when they had left home this morning, Yu Liang was on a twelve game winning streak and he wondered if the count was now at thirteen. Hong He had wanted to bet on it, but Shi Guang hadn't wanted to jinx it, earning two raised eyebrows. He was on his eighth consecutive win himself now and wanted to know how far they'd both get. He silently cursed the cold he'd had right during an important phase last month.
Don't stop moving forward. I'm right behind you. I'll be next to you again soon.
The old thrill of the chase was still there. Would likely always be. Mixed in with about a hundred other emotions, but a solid foundation to build on.
And together they were chasing so many other players. Xu Hou right there. Fang Xu. Sang Yuan. Lin Li. Yu Xaoyang. Chu Ying.
He couldn't wait for the future.
Outside Shi Guang took another deep breath. He hadn't even realised how sticky the air in the competition room had been. After he'd stretched his arms for a bit in front of the big windows overlooking the city, he took out his phone and turned it back on.
There were two new messages. The first was one he'd missed this morning from Shen Yilang, wishing him luck and telling him how much he was looking forward to playing against his team next year.
They'd recently celebrated Shen Yilang's team's latest win, which had sealed their move into the A-league and Shi Guang couldn't wait. It would be a little bit like old times again.
The second one was from Yu Liang, telling him to come to the park outside the building once his game is finished.
With a little more spring in his step, he made his way to the elevators. Luckily one was already there as if it was waiting for him, so he stepped through the open door and was just about to press the button for the ground floor when someone stomped by him, almost stepped onto his foot and pressed it with an annoyed grunt.
Shi Guang was just about to snap at the other person, when they turned around and he was staring directly into the face of Yue Zhi. Who stared back, clearly not having seen who'd been in the elevator before him. The look on his face said that if he had known, he'd have taken another one. Shi Guang could relate.
Granted, he hadn't talked to Yue Zhi pretty much since before going to Korea, but he doubted that the other had somehow acquired a more pleasant personality. There were things all the money in the world couldn't buy.
Yue Zhi had against all expectations, chosen a weaker team than he could have, but he assumed that Hong He wasn't too far off when he said it was probably so Yue Zhi could not only be the star player, but also have his grandfather sponsor the team and thus making them forever dependant on his moods.
Chewing on the inside of his cheeks, Shi Guang had to admit that Yue Zhi's team wasn't bad, though. They weren't at the top of the A-league, but also not at the bottom. Yue Zhi himself had never been a bad player at all, just one often hindered by his own arrogance. Maybe being part of an actual team instead of competing with everyone actually helped?
Still, poor guys. I can't even tell if he won his game or not looking at his face. Always looking as if most other people just aren't worth his time.
The silence in the elevator was deafening, even with the soft instrumental music playing in the background.
How many floors does this building even have? We weren't even at the top so why is this taking so long to-
Suddenly there was a bang. Then a loud screeching noise. Flickering lights. A jolt so hard Shi Guang had to cling to the wall to not fall on his ass.
Silence. They were clearly not moving anymore.
For a moment they just stared at each other, Shi Guang still standing on slightly shaky legs and Yue Zhi on the floor.
"You okay?"
Before he could even contemplate helping the other up, Yue Zhi was already back on his feet and brushing off non-existing dirt from his pants.
A jerky nod was the only answer Shi Guang got and then Yue Zhi was already pressing the emergency button next to the panel with the floor buttons.
"Hello? Yes, me and a fellow weiqi player are stuck in..."
Shi Guang still tried to get his heartbeat back under control, pressing his hands over the neatly ironed shirt on his chest. He looked around. Everything looked normal. No flickering lights, no creaking or otherwise concerning sounds. Only the calming music wasn't playing anymore. Oh, and they were not moving he guessed. Just hanging there with no idea how high they still were above the ground. How dangerous would a freefall be from where they were now? One part of him wanted to pry the door open with his fingers, while another preferred it closed to finding out they were maybe hanging in between floors.
"I don't know who does the maintenance in this building, but if my grandfather hears about this..."
Having wished that Yue Zhi wasn't in the elevator with him not even two minutes ago stood in stark contrast to the relief Shi Guang felt that he was there with him now. Just imagining being trapped in this small place alone made him swallow an invisible lump in his throat.
Shi Guang heard the muffled reply on the other end of the intercom and then Yue Zhi turned around with a huff and crossed his arms.
"Some technical difficulties. Apparently they're working on it. Half an hour or so."
Half an hour. He could do half an hour. By then all of the other games would be finished and he would go meet Yu Liang. Would celebrate his win with his team. He would go home and go to sleep and just forget about the sensation of falling, even if it had just been for a fraction of a second. He could still feel it in his bones and after deciding that the floor was not dirty enough to keep standing, slid down with his back against the wall.
They were back to silence.
If it had been Hong He or Shen Yilang, they'd have made a funny story up together, but what does one do with Yue Zhi to pass the time?
If it had been Yu Liang, they'd probably have started playing a game of weiqi on the floor tiles by now. Maybe even while holding hands for comfort. Shi Guang still marvelled at how Yu Liang's presence could be the most exciting thing in the entire world, but at the same time calm him down like nothing else.
Yu Liang.
Shi Guang pulled out his phone. No reception of course. With a sigh he pulled up Yu Liang's last message and scrolled up. It was a bit like looking at their life together. Reminders to buy groceries, good luck wishes before games, challenges, complaints about the weather, dinner plans and all these other little things that made up their life. He hadn't even realised how tense his shoulders had been till he felt them relax now. He traced the characters of Yu Liang's last message with his finger, imagining hearing his voice.
I'm in the little park outside. Blue bench. Join me when you've finished. There might be ice cream.
A smile tugged at his lips. Ice cream would be nice.
There was a small choking sound next to him. Close. Way to close. Shi Guang froze. He slowly raised his eyes.
Yue Zhi was gaping at him, eyes wide, a finger pointing first at Shi Guang, then at his phone and back.
"I wanted to ... if... reception... you two ... Your face!"
Shi Guang could feel his face drain of all color. The feeling of falling was back, but this time he was already sitting. Instead his stomach seemed to drop through the floor and his heart started beating so loud he couldn't tell if Yue Zhi had continued to speak. A deafening thump thump thump in his ears.
Yu Liang sometimes talked about what would happen if their friends would find out. Whom to tell first. Not because he trusted any of their friends less than the others, but it was in Yu Liang's nature to worry. About status. About his family. Meanwhile Shi Guang thought about people who'd maybe need more time. He didn't think that any of them would cut him out of their lives, but there was always this nagging worry.
They also wondered who might already be suspecting and who had no clue.
They'd never mentioned Yue Zhi. Never even thought of him. He wasn't their friend. They never met outside of official weiqi events. The only reason why Yu Liang still had his phone number was because he hadn't bothered to delete it yet, the last message already almost a year old.
This was so far from the controlled environment they'd tentatively planned, Shi Guang could feel a sort of helplessness bubbling up inside of him that he hadn't even known existed till now.
He hadn't even realised that he had closed his eyes till he felt a barely there brush against his arm.
The real world came back crushing in. Time started moving again, yet his brain seemed empty. The hands on his knees started shaking.
Yue Zhi had sat down next to him. Close, but not touching Shi Guang. Not looking at his face, eyes fixed on the elevator door.
"This is an unfortunate situation."
Shi Guang couldn't help the surprised snort that escaped his throat.
Yue Zhi visibly hesitated but then awkwardly patted his arm, before taking his hand back, never looking away from the spot he had chosen on the door.
The knot under Shi Guang's rib cage loosened a little.
"How?"
Shi Guang couldn't choke out more than one word, sounding faint even to his own ears.
Yue Zhi sighed as if he was a child asking a silly question. It was such a typical Yue Zhi reaction, it almost seemed surreal. Shi Guang wondered what would happen if he broke out into hysterical laughter right now.
"Your face."
Shi Guang cocked his head. Yue Zhi's gaze darted to him and then back to the door so quick he almost missed it.
"You just... looked the same as my grandfather."
Whatever Shi Guang had been expecting - and he really couldn't tell what he'd been expecting - this hadn't been it.
His thoughts must have shown on his already apparently proven traitorous face, because Yue Zhi sighed again and continued through a clenched jaw as if every word was one he wasn't happy about saying.
"There is a picture of my grandmother in the living room. My grandfather looks at it sometimes. He makes the same face."
Once again there was silence in the elevator. Shi Guang still felt like there was cotton in his head and there was still a little lump in his throat, but Yue Zhi was also still sitting next to him and didn't seem in a hurry to move. His breathing was calmer now.
He didn't know how many minutes had gone by before he found his voice again.
"Please don't-"
"I won't."
Yue Zhi's jaw was still clenched, his back ramrod straight against the wall.
"Thank you."
Yue Zhi nodded jerkily.
The music came back on, making them both jump a little.
Shi Guang stood up on still slightly wobbly legs and next to him Yue Zhi did the same.
"I guess that means our time together is up."
He smiled weakly and Yue Zhi snorted and raised his chin in that arrogant way he always did right before a match. Shi Guang's shoulders sagged in relief. It was going to be okay.
There was a short screeching noise and the elevator jerked once, before it started to descend again smoothly.
The first thing Shi Guang saw when the doors opened was Xu Hou, who hovered behind a nervous looking guy who seemed to maybe be some sort of manager of the building and a guy in a gray work overall who may or may not be the person who freed them.
He was just about to go over to them, when a familiar voice to his left called his name.
Yu Liang.
It was as if his feet had a mind of their own. He didn't know who opened their arms first, but the moment he buried his face in the other boy's neck, the world finally seemed to right itself. Shi Guang inhaled deeply. Home.
"You okay?"
Yu Liang's voice near his ear made him shiver.
"Ya, just give me a few seconds. This was kind of stressful. For several reasons. Will tell you later."
Yu Liang chuckled and hugged him a bit tighter.
Xu Hou came over to slap him on the back.
"You gave us quite a fright there. My second board stuck in an elevator and no one knows how it happened! Luckily it happened after the game."
He winked, signaling that he was joking. Probably.
"Speaking of! Since we won, how about I treat you to dinner? Yu Liang can come, too! We'll just wrap this whole thing here up first."
Before he could answer - an obvious yes - Shi Guang realised Yue Zhi was still standing next to the possible manager he'd started to talk to as soon as they'd left the elevator. He was looking at them, head slightly tilted as if he was rearranging how the world worked just a tiny bit. Then Yue Zhi simply nodded at him, straightened his shoulders and made his way to the exit.
Shi Guang couldn't help himself.
"Hey Yue Zhi. I forgot to ask earlier: Did you win?"
Yue Zhi raised an eyebrow and thrusted out his chin.
"Of course."
Then he walked away as if nothing of note had happened today at all.
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CODA
Yu Liang's fingers were softly scratching his neck, sending goosebumps down his spine. Here in their own little world, in this room with Chu Ying's board in it, in this bed, under their covers and in each other's arms. Shi Guang didn't think he'd ever tire of this. Just the warm feeling of being home. He'd known that feeling before. Every time his mother hugged him or his grandfather told him how proud he was of him. When he played weiqi on the roof of their school with Wu Di, Gu Yu, Mingming and their whole club. When He Jiajia came to cheer for them at their competitions. In the dorm room with Hong He and Shen Yilang and Little Pigsnout. When he became a member of Xu Hou's team.
When he found Chu Ying again in the cold water of the lake.
Shi Guang had been loved all his life by so many people. He knew that sometimes he'd been too blind to see it or too angry at the world to appreciate it. He was still sometimes afraid that they would leave him, couldn't really see why they had chosen him to be their friend, couldn't believe that someone like Yu Liang - smart and elegant and beautiful - had chosen him, would want to kiss him. And yet.
Shi Guang sighed. His life really was great. Not always perfect, not always easy, but every person he had met since a ghost had appeared out of a weiqi board when he'd been a kid had made his life richer. Well, except maybe Wang Chong.
Shi Guang chuckled.
"What is it?"
Yu Liang's voice was soft.
"Nothing. I just think we should maybe start telling people soon, what do you think?"
"Hmh. I don't mind. Let's make some plans tomorrow?"
Shi Guang smiled and buried his face further into Yu Liang's shoulder.
Hey Chu Ying, aren't I lucky?