Chapter Text
If Guan Shan hears another track from Silver Gun being played he was ready to storm out of the place. Salary be damned, it wasn’t worth going through another song about not being loved. The expression Guan Shan is making must be awfully distasteful cause the cameraman takes one look at it and he shakes his head.
“You need to look less like a murderer and more like you don’t give a shit about life.”
Guan Shan grinds his teeth in annoyance, “Can somebody change the music?”
He tightens the grip on the backpack handle he was wearing. He’s always been more uncomfortable with the school uniform photoshoots. Maybe it had something to do with the thought of school itself or the fact that the uniforms were always a tad bit too tight. Guan Shan never wanted to delve into it too much. There are too many things in the world he hates, he can’t be thinking why he does about every single one. Especially not about the tracks performed by Silver Gun.
The cameraman’s eyebrows furrow, “You don’t like Silver Gun? Everyone is crazy about them these days. The stylists work better with them on, but we’ll change it if you want.”
It’s surprising how lenient he is. It’s not like Guan Shan is some supermodel. He’s barely in one photo shoot per month, taking these gigs for extra cash rather than for a proper career. People usually hire him for his unusual red hair rather than his model-like looks which in his opinion, doesn’t exist. He should be more concerned that he’s going nowhere in this business, his red hair could only get him so far. Then again, it’s not like he’s working towards a goal when he’s too busy doing multiple part-time jobs.
The cameraman calls over his assistance and when the music changes to some generic pop song from an idol group, Guan Shan could feel himself relax.
The camera clicks.
The camera won’t stop clicking and Guan Shan is this close to flinging it off the building. His tired eyes glare at the boy with raven black hair and annoyingly clear and pale skin kneeling over him with a digital camera in front of his face. The redhead formulates a plan in his head to kill the boy’s brother for buying him an annoyingly loud camera.
“Will you cut it He Tian for fuck's sake, I’m trying to get some fucking sleep.”
He Tian snorts as he tucks the camera away, “You act like you don’t sleep in every class we’re in.”
“Nobody asked for your input.”
“And nobody asked you to look so fucking gorgeous while sleeping.”
Guan Shan attempts to kick the other, but He Tian dodges him easily while laughing.
“One day I’m going to murder you,” Guan Shan threatens.
“Awww redhead, we both know you won’t do that. I’m the only friend you have.”
“Like shit you are my friend.”
“Says the guy who followed me to the rooftop.”
“I wanted to make sure you aren’t going to fight anyone.”
“See you do care.”
“No, I just don’t want there to be a murder at this school.”
“You think I’m that good?”
“No, I think you would be the one that would end up dead.”
He Tian leans forward and yanks the other’s hair playfully and Guan Shan hisses in pain.
“I saved your ass from She Li remember?”
Guan Shan grabs the other’s wrists and twists it away, “Fucking wish you didn’t cause then I wouldn’t know your stupid ass.”
“My ass is perfectly gorgeous thank you very much.”
“Then take pictures of your ass.”
He Tian takes his hand from the other’s grip and lays on the ground next to the redhead, “I rather take pictures of your ass.”
Guan Shan rolls his eyes, “Tell me one good reason why I shouldn’t throw you and that stupid camera off the roof.”
“Because you don’t want a murder happening in this school.”
“...”
“And cause my brother is part of a gang and his gang will hunt you down for destroying such an expensive camera.”
Guan Shan closes his eyes again, “Forgot your brother’s a fucking piece of work. Why did he buy you that stupid thing anyway?”
“Maybe he wants me to be a photographer.”
“Like you ever could or want to be.”
“I mean looking at pretty girls all day, sign me the fuck up.”
Guan Shan snorts, “You're such a fucking pervert.”
“You’re just jealous that you don’t have a cult following like I do.”
Guan Shan scoffs, “Yes He Tian, I’m jealous that you have so many girls following you every day that you can’t even eat your lunch in peace without having to go to the rooftop.”
“See I knew you were jealous. Besides this is all training for when I actually become a celebrity.”
“What are you going to get famous for, murdering someone?”
He Tian becomes oddly quiet after that question.
Despite himself, Guan Shan finds his eyes open and stare at the other’s face, which was staring up at the sky blankly.
“Have you suddenly turned mute?”
He Tian snorts, “I could be a rockstar.”
Guan Shan snorts back, “You know how to play like three notes on the bass guitar.”
He Tian rolls his eyes in retaliation, “Okay what do you want to be?”
“How the fuck would I know? We’re not even done high school yet. We have a long time to think about that bullshit.”
He Tian turns towards him and smirks, “You could be a chef.”
Guan Shun huffs in annoyance,“You just want me to make you beef stew all day.”
He Tian leans on his elbows and pokes the other’s cheek, “How about this? I become a famous rockstar and you can be my househusband and supply me my daily dose of your beef stew.”
Guan Shan twists the finger that is poking his cheek, “You know I’ll poison it.”
He Tian doesn’t even flinch, instead, he laughs and easily pulls his finger away from the other’s grip, “So you're fine with being my husband?”
Guan Shan feels his face grow warm which only causes He Tian to laugh harder.
“One day I will kill you. This is a promise.”
Laughing He Tian takes out his camera again, “Stay like that.”
Before Guan Shan could push the other away, the camera clicks.
He Tian blinks rapidly as he sees another flash of a camera. The crowds' cheer is loud and everyone is singing along to their song, his song. Well, they are all his songs, he’s the only member in the group with decent music writing skills. Despite the fact that he entered the whole music thing pretty late.
They take a bow after their final song, and all He Tian could see is flashes of bright light. The crowd chants their name over, over and over again.
“Silver Gun! Silver Gun!”
Those words echo in his ears as he walks off stage.
“Ugh, why were there so many cameras. Those flashes were burning my eyes,” their lead singer Xiao Hui complains as she takes off her earpiece backstage.
He Tian scoffs as he passes over his bass guitar to a staff, “Is that why you were so off-pitch today?”
Xiao Hui pouts, “Why are you being so rude?”
“I wouldn’t need to be if you just sang properly,” He Tian points out, his tone sharp and annoyed for reasons he can’t even identify. She really wasn’t that bad today, but He Tian doesn’t need an excuse to be mean to their fellow lead singer. Sometimes he gets bored and when he gets bored he likes to insult the members of his group.
“C’mon guys,” their lead drummer Zhan Zheng Xi interferes, “Can we go one day without arguing?”
His brown hair was tousled to perfection and He Tian hated how much attention their stylist usually gave the other. It’s more of an ego thing than a jealousy one, He Tian knows he’s the most good looking in the group and the stylists cooing over his looks on the daily gives him a sense of pride.
He Tian rolls his eyes at the drummer, “Do you have to always be the pacifier?”
Zheng Xi twirls his drumsticks in his hands as if he really wouldn’t care less if He Tian and Xiao Hui killed each other in the next minute, “Only when my bandmates are acting like children.”
From the other side of the room, their guitarist Zhang Wei laughs, “Don’t piss He Tian off guys otherwise we’re not going to get any more songs.”
Zheng Wei is another matter entirely. Unlike the other two members, Zhang Wei came in the last minute when their previous guitarist quit in order to become a Buddhist, something about finding himself in the mountains. He Tian allowed the other to join out of necessity rather than liking, something about Zheng Wei’s large laughs and cocky grin made He Tian want to punch the other in the face. Also dying his hair ridiculous colours like pink and purple didn’t help He Tian liking him more.
“I started songwriting!” Xiao Hui exclaims even though literally no one asked.
He Tian snorts, “I heard the songs, they all suck.”
He really didn’t listen to any of it, didn’t really care enough to but anything to get on her nerves.
She grabs Zheng Xi’s arms, “Tell him to stop being so mean.”
“Of course you need your boyfriend to defend you,” He Tian taunts.
Xiao Hui blushes at the implication but Zheng Xi simply brushes her hands off, “You’re coming to the after-party right?”
He Tian frowns at the reminder, as much as he loves the attention he was really just hoping to go to his hotel room tonight and sleep until the flight tomorrow afternoon.
Zhang Wei walks towards him and slings an arm on his shoulder, “Dude you have to come! I heard some idols are going to be there!”
“Yeah,” Xiao Hui adds, “Jian Yi from J5 is going to be there!”
“Plus it’s going to look bad if one us aren’t there,” Zheng Xi interjects.
“Most importantly,” Wei whispers, “Li Xiu Ying is going to be there and we all know she’s into you.”
He Tian shoves the arm away resisting the urge to twist it as he does, “I’m not into her,” he replies his voice sharp and irritated.
Wei looks offended, “Dude how can you not be into her? She’s a supermodel. Besides, she’s a redhead and we all know you are into that.”
He Tian scowls. He feels his skin start to crawl and his heart is at his throat. Despite the pounding that starts in his head, he remains his composure and in the most normal voice he could muster he asks, “And why do you think that?”
“Dude all our love songs are about some redheaded girl!”
“Actually,” Zheng Xi interjects again which he really should stop doing, “It’s all about some redheaded boy.”
The pounding in his head gets louder.
Wei rolls his eyes, “We all know he changes the gender so Hui can sing it.”
Zheng Xi raises his eyebrows, “Oh, do we?”
Wei frowns at the drummer and they both start a staring contest. They glare at each other, neither of them refusing to back down. It’s ridiculous and childish but like He Tian and Xiao Hui, they liked to get on each other’s nerves except their fights were more serious and ends up with one of them on the floor bleeding. Not that He Tian blames either of them, he wants to do the same to both of them on a daily basis.
He Tian momentarily closes his eyes in order to quiet down the pounding in his head. He reminisces the memory of being back at the rooftop, feeling like he could do anything as he glances at the bright red hair being illuminated by the sunlight. The soft wind would blow the fringes and He Tian had always had the urge to tuck the loose strands of hair. But he was always afraid of disturbing the other’s sleep.
Yeah, that’s what he was afraid of.
His eyes snap back open when he hears someone calling them.
“Silver Gun can we get a picture?” One of the staff members asks with a camera in hand, probably to take a picture for the press.
Wei and Zhang Xi forget their staring contest as they turn towards the camera. Even Xiao Hui perks up.
He Tian puts on his legendary smirk as the camera clicks.