Chapter Text
Guang Hong wasn't a hopeless romantic, not really. He didn't believe in the things that romance novels tried to peddle about love. He was a straight shooter when it came to his feelings.
Plots of romance novels and shoujo manga aren't real life.
Okay, maybe he was a little bit of a hopeless romantic, but in a sensible sort of way. He dreamed about those romance novel plots but he knew they weren't real, weren't possible.
His friend, Phichit, didn't believe him which was how he got himself in this situation.
At the beginning of this year the announcement was made that because the high school didn't have enough lockers for all the students – they had a lot of transfers and then a flood had taken out almost 50 lockers near the gym – some people would have to share the larger lockers normally reserved for seniors. The people who would share were randomly selected and, because he was so damn lucky, Guang Hong had been chosen.
The strange thing was that after a month Guang Hong had never met his locker-mate. Apparently their schedules were so different that they never ended up in the same place which seemed strange because what about before and after school?
After a month of not seeing this other person, Phichit proposed a plan.
"Write them a note. Like put a notebook in there or something. It'll be like The Lake House!"
"You've watched that movie too many times." Guang Hong was just happy Yuuri was always the one Phichit forced to watch that movie. "That stuff doesn't happen."
"Come on!" Phichit whined between bites of his sandwich, "just try it out."
Guang Hong sighed, "Fine. But only so you'll stop asking."
To be honest, he was kind of excited by the idea but he wasn't about to let Phichit know that. Otherwise, Phichit might make him watch The Lake House now that Yuuri was off in college.
---
Locker-mate,
Hi. I'm the person you share this locker with. Since our schedules never line up I thought I'd send you a message to say hello.
Hello.
Just wanted to say you're a good locker-mate, too. So, umm, keep up the good work?
From,
A Short Third Year
---
Guang Hong was seriously questioning his own sanity.
First, why would he even do such a stupid thing as leave a note for this stranger?
Second, why had he decided to sign off like he was writing to some newspaper self-help column? He could have just used his name instead of being weirdly cryptic.
But either way, at the end of the day he was surprised to see the notebook he left was flipped open to a new page.
---
Dear Short Third Year,
I was surprised to see this notebook was left for me! I've been wondering who my mysterious locker buddy was but I come in late and leave early (senior year woo!) so I haven't seen you. You never seem to be at your locker during the day hmm...
Do you do martial arts? I noticed you have some equipment in the locker that looks like it might be for that.
Yours Truly,
Senior Somehow Still Alive
P.S. I bet you can come up with a better pseudonym ;)
---
Phichit was basically screaming when Guang Hong brought the notebook to the library so he could write a response.
"This kid is totally flirting with you."
"They really aren't." Guang Hong had no idea what to make of his locker-mate to be honest. "Why are they doing this fake name thing too?"
"Because it's romantic?" Phichit smiled, "And you need a better name, they're right."
"I should just use my actual name."
"Guang Hong!" Phichit whined, "It's about the mystique of the situation!"
"You're the worst." Guang Hong said even though he didn't mean it. Phichit was his best friend after all.
---
Hey, Still Alive :)
You're right about the martial arts. I wanted to do something else, but Karate is the only thing close so I ended up with that.
Do you have a job? Is that why you leave early?
From,
Flower Crown Kid
---
When he put the notebook back into the locker before leaving for the day, Guang Hong considered changing his pseudonym again. His new one was stupid but it was true, he'd been ‘the flower crown kid’ since he and Phichit were 6.
That's actually how they became friends, with Phichit asking Guang Hong to make him a flower crown after watching the smaller boy making them for his stuffed animals.
Guang Hong hadn't really had friends before Phichit. His life had changed a lot after he turned 4 and he’d not been incredibly social. Without Phichit, he might still be in that place.
Sighing, Guang Hong left the notebook and grabbed his bags.
---
Dear Flower Crown,
I like the new name, it's nice.
Do you not like karate? You sounded sort of down on it.
And I do work part time at a music store. It's pretty much the best job I could have gotten since I needed a part time job and I love music. Because I'm a senior I can leave early if I have free periods (duh, you know that!) so I get as many hours in at work as I can!
I want to know more about you :) tell me a little about yourself!
Yours Truly,
Still Alive
---
When Guang Hong read the new entry, he decided he needed to bring the notebook home to work on his response. Still Alive seemed to answer every letter with such genuine interest and Guang Hong wanted to give them the same.
Luckily Phichit didn't stay after school that day so he couldn't pester Guang Hong about the notebook.
---
Hi again,
I kind of can't believe this is actually working? My friend suggested it but I sort of thought it was a dumb idea...
I do like karate but there are so many other arts and I'd really love to learn something else, I guess. I'm hoping to do something different in college since I've been doing karate my whole life and I guess I want to do something different. There's so much to learn in different arts! I’m really thinking Tai Chi might be interesting. I like the idea of a martial art that’s not as aggressive, I guess?
You like music? Do you play an instrument? My mom played flute, though I never got to hear her play.
Are you planning to go to college? It’s a long way off but maybe you have some idea of where you want to go?
From,
Flower Crown
---
Guang Hong wasn’t sure that was enough but he didn’t know what else he could say. He was pretty sure he had said too much by mentioning his mom but he couldn’t think of anything else.
“Sunshine, what are you sighing about?” Guang Hong’s grandma, Ruoqi Li, stood over her grandson as he looked at a notebook laying open in front of him.
“I sort of made a new friend…” He wasn’t sure exactly how to explain his current arrangement. “But I don’t know what to say to them.”
“Where did you meet this friend?” She asked, sitting down next to him.
Guang Hong laid his head down of the table, his grandma reaching over to pull her fingers through his hair.
“We sort of like pen pals.” He explained. “But my letters are always boring and short.”
“Oh, pen pals.” She smiled. “I had a pen pal when I was a little girl. I talked to another little girl all the way in America.” His grandma grew up in China. “The way she used to talk about America enchanted me. It’s one of the things that made me want to move here.”
“Well, it’s a little different than that.” Guang Hong continued. “We go to the same school but we’ve never met. We just send these letters to each other.”
“Well, then, your letters don’t have to be very long, do they? It’s fine if they’re short because you don’t have to worry about waiting a long time.”
“I guess.” Guang Hong sighed again, “I just don’t want them to think I’m not interesting.”
“Sunshine, I’m sure they think you’re the most interesting person in the world.” She smiled at him before leaning over to press a kiss into his forehead. “Now why don’t you get ready for bed?”
“Okay, Grandma.” Guang Hong left the notebook on the table in case he thought of something else to write before tomorrow. “Good night.”
---
Haha, I guess this would seem like a crazy idea at first. My friends keep telling me to ask your name because they want to know who you are. I think they have bets placed but that doesn’t seem fair because I think at least one of them has seen you at our locker and would know who you are.
Tai Chi is really cool! I’ve never done it but one of my friends used to do it and he loved it. Said it was really calming. If you can, you should totally do that in college. Though, wow, thinking about college already? That’s early, don’t you think?
I hope to go to college but we’ll see. I’ll need loans but if I can’t get some decent scholarship and financial aid money, I don’t think I can afford to go. I guess I can just keep working at the music store if I can’t go to college immediately. That wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen.
I do play instruments! I’m pretty good on piano/keyboard and also guitar. Flute is a really pretty instrument and I bet your mom is great at it. You should get her to play it some time.
As Always,
Still Alive
---
Hi again. I can’t believe it’ll be the weekend after today. I guess you’ll have to wait for my next response to come after a couple days. I’ll make sure it’s a good letter.
I’m glad you think Tai Chi is cool, that means a lot to me. Not a lot of people think so since a lot of people see it as some health thing for old people. And it kind of is, but there even more to it than that.
I hope one day I can hear your music. I can’t hear my mom play, she died when I was little, but I hope I can hear your music one day.
From,
Flower Crown.
---
I can’t wait for your next letter, these have really been making my day(s).
Tai Chi is really cool and you should totally do it!
I’m sorry… I didn’t realize. I’m sure she was a wonderful woman and of course you can listen to my music one day. I’ll have to get back to you on when since I’m not really playing much right now, but one day I will.
Yours truly,
Still Alive